Reflections of Beauty
by Obsolete Love
Summary: Pilot: Quatre. Non Yaoi Ch 5-7 (end): Business Romance... was that all there was? Or can we hope it to be more?
1. Default Chapter

Whispers of the Heart **

Reflections of Beauty  
Chapter 1  
by: Obsolete Love

**

The words started to move as though they had a life of their own… the alphabet that he knew slowly became confusing…

'Is that a d or a p or an f?'

He closed his eyes for a moment as the letters started to swim around the page… 'Stop… please stop… I have to finish this tonight…' His mute plea for help reached no one's ears while his hands started to gently massage the bridge of his nose, trying to relax his eyes…

A knock resounded inside the office and his closed eyes fluttered open to reveal kind, but clearly tired, aquamarine eyes.

The door opened slowly and a slightly plump woman with aged white hair peeked inside, eyeglasses somewhat askew on the bridge of her nose with lips forever curved in a smile.

A grin tugged upon the man's face as he stood up and walked to his door, opening it for the grandmotherly figure. "What are you still doing here, Mrs. Roberts? It's already past office hours, you know."

The elderly woman let the soft, scolding tone pass by like quick summer breeze. "Well, look who's talking! Mr. Winner, you need rest too! And I brought you a hot mug of cocoa to help you relax a bit… I had a feeling that your eyes are starting to hurt again."

Quatre guiltily looked away … She's right, of course… How come she always knew whenever it starts happen…? Ah well… she has been working for him ever since he started… 

He needs rest… the mere fact that the words had started to jump at him and swim around the page, playing peek-a-boo with him was a sign for him to stop.

His eyes watched as Mrs. Roberts deposited his mug of hot cocoa on the desk. Her dexterity never ceased to amaze him… She might look old and helpless, but she's exactly the opposite… He was going to miss her…

"There… now be a good boy and drink your cocoa, then go home and sleep." Her tone left no room for argument and Quatre only willingly complied while he walked to his desk and reached out for the warm ceramic mug. Sometimes, he's just so glad for her motherly type presence, especially since he had never experienced how it was to have a mother who would nag him to death or order him around 'till he dropped. Although… he does have Rashid…

"Thank you, Mrs. Roberts."

She smiled at him as though he was one of her grandchildren. She will miss him but… she knows that she had met her limit…

"Quatre, the interviews aren't going as well as I'd hoped."

The handsome blonde adult frowned slightly over his mug. "What's the matter? Is the salary too low for today's economy? Are the demands too high? Isn't there enough applying for the position?"

Mrs. Roberts shook her head. "No, dear… The salary is high, the demands aren't that much and there were tons who applied for the position… But I do not feel that any of them are qualified at all… or I haven't met anyone whom I feel qualified enough."

Quatre smiled softly as he walked to Mrs. Roberts and placed a hand on her shoulder. "After your services, I don't think there will ever be anyone half as qualified to fill your shoes!"

Mrs. Roberts laughed cheerfully as she patted Quatre's hand. "Flatterer…"

Quatre just grinned at her response, but concern for the older woman nagged at him. He knew that she had been doing an unusual type of interview with the applicants... maybe it's taking a strain on her? "Do you want me to ask Stevens to conduct the interviews instead?"

Mrs. Roberts shook her head. "Oh no! Steven doesn't know the difference between a rock and a diamond! I want to be sure about the person who'll replace me! I'll know him or her when I see her… or him."

Quatre laughed at the rare confused look on her face. "Alright… I trust your judgement."

"Good!" Mrs. Roberts snapped. "If you trust my judgment so much, go home NOW! You do that or else I'm not going to leave this office until you do."

The smile on Quatre's face instantly disappeared as he glanced from the stack of papers on his desk to the elderly woman… It was already past nine o'clock… She should be asleep already… 

"Alright, Mrs. Roberts. You win..." Quatre grabbed his coat. "I'll drop you off, alright?"

"Fine with me," came that cheery reply, a victorious twinkle in her eyes. In a few more minutes, the two walked out of the office.

Quatre nodded as they passed by a security guard. "Evening Lennard."

"Evening Mr. Winner!" Lennard's back straightened as the owner of the building stopped by his desk.

"Give my regards to your new, baby daughter, alright?"

Lennard grinned at his employer's smiling face. "I sure will, sir."

Mrs. Roberts hid her smile at the friendly conversation; slightly amazed at how he could be so aware when it comes to employees, even the most subordinate ones…

She gave him a glance under the shadows of the night while they walked to his car. 'But sometimes, you tend to be too concerned for other people that you push yourself to the limit and forget about your own needs…' How she wished she could tell that to his face right now, but she only sighed. 

That's why she needed to find him someone who would be able to tell him when to stop and rest without backing down… Someone responsible and kind and with a backbone… someone who could feel… But so far, those she had interviewed were all too cold, calculating… or just plain… well… she just couldn't see them working with Quatre.

"Your stop, Mrs. Roberts." Quatre softly announced while he got out of his car to open the passenger door for his personal assistant.

Mrs. Roberts smiled her thanks, leaned to him and gave a motherly kiss on his cheek. 

Quatre laughed cheerfully as he hugged his secretary, mother… and friend all rolled into one… then, with a parting wave, he left.

Mrs. Roberts shook her head sadly… She would miss him terribly… If there had been anything of significance she had done while she had worked for this young man, she hoped that it was her show of motherly affection… She had known, from the moment she'd set her eyes on him when he entered the late Mr. Winner's office with that set jaw and courageous spark in his eyes…

After the war… so young… How sad it must have been to be deprived of parental affection so early in life… She had known that Mr. Winner rarely had time for his family… known that Quatre's mother had died when he was but a baby… And as a mother then, so long ago, she saw a look of hunger in his eyes. Hunger for such affection as he looked around and acquainted himself with his father's taste… Quatre never even bothered to redecorate the room, wanting his father's presence to stay… the only thing he could be a part of…

A squeal of laughter interrupted her thoughts and the door burst open and three children tumbled out.

"Grammy!!!"

"Gramma!!!"

"Gammy!!!"

Mrs. Roberts laughed as she steeled herself for the onslaught of hugs and kisses. "Hey you tykes…"

The merry, inconsequential babble enveloped her.

"Was that Uncle Quatre?"

"Why didn't Uncle Quatre come in?"

"Uncle Quatre?"

"Hey mom." The blonde haired woman standing by the door greeted her as she reached it. "Children, Grandma Laddi is tired."

"Oh, it's alright, Ann…" she gave a parting hug to the other three. "Uncle Quatre was tired so I told him to not bother."

She saw the disappointed look on their faces before they shrugged and nodded. "Well… it's past our bedtime… We're going up now!" Tyler- the oldest of the three- quipped. His brother and sister both groaned their protest.

"Go on, you guys… You have school tomorrow." Ann whispered and shooed the three up the stairs then faced Laddi. "We have some soup on the oven for you."

Laddi nodded and walked to the kitchen. "Thanks, Ann."

Ann grinned. "Well, we're the ones imposing on you, so it's the least we can do."

"You're not imposing at all… family is family, whether they be blood ties or not."

Ann poured the remaining soup in a bowl, gratitude showed in her eyes while she placed it in front of her mother-in-law. "As soon as the house is finished, we're out."

Laddi sighed. "Then the house wouldn't be the same again. I'm going to miss their noisy fights." She motioned her hands to the ceiling then heard the loud thump and squeals of laughter…

Ann rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Pillow fight again?! Children!"

The noise instantly stopped at the bellow and Laddi had to smother a laugh. She could very well imagine Ann's husband- her son Marc- and his brothers and sisters doing just that when they were kids. 

"So, Quatre was working late again?" 

Laddi could hear the protective tone in Ann's voice and couldn't help but smile. Quatre had become somewhat of an unofficial member of their family, and it wasn't because Quatre gave her sons and daughters jobs secure enough for their families and many more…

"Yes, I'm afraid so… I can't keep up with him anymore." Too many business deals coming up… Too many things, events and whatnots…

"Oh mom… You should tell him to take care of himself."

Laddi sighed. "I do but the boy doesn't listen… Stubborn as his father."

Ann grinned. Laddi was the late Mr. Winner's secretary so Ann can be sure that she's right. "So, how are the interviews coming along?" her eyes slanted shrewdly. "I better see who's going to fill my mom's shoes and work with Quatre… you know, just so I could be sure…"

Laddi grinned. She already consider her own judgement to be critical, if the applicants even get to Ann, the girl will chew them alive!

"You know that I promised Iria and Jessamyne that I'll look after Quatre while they're gone." 

Laddi's grin became wider. Ah that, of course… She could remember that significant day… "Along with your hushed tones of matchmaking."

Ann blinked in bafflement and feigned innocence. "Matchmaking? Me…? Iria? Jessamyne?"

"Yes, you and your best friends… Even if you have Quatre's best interest, love isn't something that could be rushed, you know. Besides, he's got enough on his hands with those girls clamoring-"

Ann held up her hands in surrender. "Yes mother… I hear you."

Laddi watched her guardedly… There's a distinct mischief in Ann's eyes…

"Well, anyway, you haven't told me about the interviews yet… You know, maybe if I take the children away from the house while you conduct those meetings, there wouldn't be any distractions to-"

Laddi laughed, stopping Ann's words. "The children was helping me pick! It was fun to watch one of the applicants scream out in terror and show her claws when _Gregory_ slithered into the room!"

Ann's eyes widened. "Gregory got out of his cage?! When did this happen?! Of course the applicant would scream!"

Laddi shook her head. "I said scream and showed her claws. Meaning-"

Understanding filtered in Ann's eyes. "Oh… one of them, huh?"

"So far all of them are one of them." Laddi sighed out.

Ann bit her lower lip. They sure have a big problem on their hands… Where can they find someone who's not a fortune hunter? She reached out and patted Laddi's wrinkled hands, suddenly aware of how old her mother-in law was… No wonder she's getting tired…

"Don't worry, Mom… We'll find someone. I'm sure we'll know who she is once we see her."

One phrase flitted through their mind…

__

I hope…

~*~

"Thank you so much for your time, Ms. Nesbitt." Laddi said as she reached out to the woman for their parting handshake.

"Same here, Mrs. Roberts." She reached out.

Cold, lifeless hands encompassed Laddi's own and right then and there, she reached a decision to slash out Ms. Nesbitt… She watched as the lovely woman walked out of the room then leaned against her chair. 

Is it her? Is she being a bit over protective that she's overlooking and criticizing the applicants too much?

She shook her head and walked to the door, breathed in deeply before she opened the only barrier she had from the long line of waiting applicants… She watched as the children did their antics on the floor… Suddenly, she saw Tyler give Mark and Leslie the 'look'… 

'Uh oh… what are they planning now…?' She should feel guilty but, truth be told, she was not. She was actually the one who told the kids to do whatever they wanted to anyone who came into her house. 

How she got them to cooperate made her lips turn into a slight smile.

__

'Uncle Quatre needs a new secretary and he wants you guys to make sure that they're nice…'

She emphasized on _nice,_ of course… and so, the carrot was dangled in front of the horse and the grandmother and grandchildren united under one cause…

The three children went from one applicant to another, pestered them with questions, and tugged at their skirts then said innocent remarks like-

"You look pale, are you sick?" or-

Laddi's eyes widened at what Mark just told one heavily make-upped woman-

"What do you look like under that mask?" 

She quickly stepped back in her makeshift office, closed the door and laughed her heart out. The children's honest liveliness against the stark, calculating auras of those women outside… She should tape this!

With the many nephews, nieces and extended families Quatre had, it's a must for the new secretary to have a flare with children! But so far… those picture perfect business attired and cosmetic clad women out there are sadly… not right. 

'Ah well… on with the show…'

Laddi opened the door and inwardly grimaced when she heard the doorbell, signifying the arrival of another applicant… She watched as Leslie opened the front door and only gave a quick appraisal to the new addition.

A slight frown appeared on her forehead as she saw front creased black pants instead of the usual fashionable skirt she had seen on everyone, so far. 

'Okay, Laddi, one at a time… you'll get to her later.' She gave a tired smile to the next applicant- who seemed, at the moment, near the end of her patience with Mark's continuous questioning.

~*~

'Maybe I shouldn't have come… maybe this is a mistake… I mean… I don't have enough experience… this is such a professional job…' Doubts rose and stayed at the back of her mind and her fear doubled as she took in the women inside the parlor, waiting to be interviewed…

'Oh God… Shanah, what have you gotten yourself into now?' She suddenly felt as insignificant as a bug… All those smart looking women ahead of her… how could she possibly get the position?

"Hi!"

The soft, cheerful greeting made Shanah glance down and she saw an adorable little girl in a pink dress, holding on to a doll… The little girl invoked a warm smile from her, lighting the green and golden specks in her eyes. For a moment, her nervousness disappeared.

"Hello."

Shanah watched as the little girl frowned at her, trying to look very serious… 'Cute, for a girl her age to do so…' 

"Are you s'posed to be interbeud by my Gammy?"

Shanah bit her lower lip. 'Gammy?' Ah well… it must be the same woman… "If your Gammy's name is Laddi Roberts, then I am supposed to be interviewed by her."

A sparkle of mischief appeared in the little girl's clear blue eyes and Shanah had a feeling of… dread…

"C'mon. I want you to meet my brothers."

Shanah was suddenly pulled toward two blonde boys, who, at the moment, were busy talking the ears off the group of women lined outside a large oak door…

"Mark! Tyler! We have a new one!"

Shanah inwardly cringed at the little girl's announcement… She could feel everyone's gaze zero in on her, appraise her and she could almost hear the huffing sounds of 'she's no match for me' disregard…

Well… she just came here to try her luck… A spur of the moment decision when she typed in her application and sent it after she saw the job opening for the Winner Enterprise… She's not even really sure of what the job was except that the pay was good and that the company was one of the best in standing, not to mention that the name had been used over and over again in business schools… She brought herself back to the present as the little girl introduced her brothers. 

"This is Tyler, our biggest brother, and that's Mark, and I'm Leslie."

Oh, blame it for being such a softie with children, but Shanah couldn't stop herself from smiling at the innocent looking kids in front of her. "Hello."

She didn't miss a certain look the three gave each other before turning back and sending her their innocent smiles… Once again, she had a feeling akin to dread…

"Leslie will take care of you, okay?" the tallest of the boys, Tyler- Shanah reminded herself, said with that grin…

Mark nodded. "Leslie, show her your _doll_ collection…"

'Emphasis on the 'doll'… I wonder why…' Shanah saw Leslie nod and turned to her while her brothers went back to their incessant chatter with the other women.

"What's your name?"

Shanah looked down at the little girl with blonde pigtails. "Shanah."

The little girl nodded. "They don't want to play dolls with me…" A pout followed that remark while she pointed at the two boys. "And those women won't either…" Her baby blue eyes started to water…

Shanah cannot help but feel as if the little girl is playing her for a wimp but… she who could resist those baby blue eyes! "That's too bad… Tell you what… Since there's still a lot of people, and it looks like I'm last, I'll play dolls with you."

Instead of a smile on the little girl's face, Shanah saw slight shock then a troubled look in her eyes…

"Er… you will have to sit on the floor with me."

Shanah looked down at her pants. "That's okay. This is black."

"Uhm… but…" Then, almost as if noticing her mistake, she smiled widely. "Er… sure… uhm… I'll just get my dolls…"

Confusion warred in Shanah as she watched Leslie walk to her brothers and tug them away from the parlor… She had a feeling that something was going on around here but… what?

~*~

"Didn't work!?" Tyler cried out. "What do you mean 'it didn't work'?"

Leslie pouted. "She's the first one who said she'll play with me…"

"Uhm… should we let Gregory out now?" Mark's soft voice asked.

Tyler shook his head. "Nah… Mom got mad at us, remember? B'sides, that's only for 'mergencies."

"Grammy liked it." Mark countered.

The three kids looked at each other and laughed.

"Well… anyway, Leslie, just get her irritated." Tyler said, using his big brotherly voice.

Leslie shook her head. "I don't think so… she seems… nice."

"Everyone is nice." Tyler countered, not getting what his little sister meant.

"No, Tyler, I mean… _nice_. She didn't give me that look the others gave when I opened the door…" Leslie wrinkled her nose, tried to imitate the look of disgust on the previous applicants' faces before they gave their smile, and then looked at her brothers.

"How about if we help you later on?" Mark suggested. "I'm getting tired with those other ladies…"

Tyler frowned, contemplating on the decision. "Okay… we'll help as soon as we can."

"Alright… I'm going to get my dolls now." With one last significant look to each other, they separated.

~*~

Shanah stifled a laugh while Leslie finished the 'dolls play' in front of her. 'Maybe I should have been a schoolteacher… Pre school…' She thought, bemused.

She looked at the clatter of dolls and stuff toys that circled them and hoped that whoever's in charge of cleaning the place wouldn't get mad at the mess.

"Then, my most beautiful doll shrieked 'Ah! No! Not my beautiful hair!!!'" 

Shanah's attention riveted back to Leslie who started cradling the beautiful doll… A slight pang of sadness encompassed her heart. "She is… beautiful."

"Oh yes… I'm not going to let anything happen to her because she's my most beautiful doll."

Shanah inwardly flinched… Such a little girl and already the 'beautiful' indisposition had already gotten to her. "You know… beauty isn't really all that. There's also what's inside a person that counts."

Leslie's blue eyes gazed into Shanah's green eyes and she saw intelligence beyond the little girl's years.

"I know that. My Gammy say so, my mommy and daddy say so… Uncle Quatre say so."

'Cornered by a little girl… Good one, Shanah…' She looked away from Leslie's eyes and said the only thing she could think of… "Oh…" Shanah glanced at the closed oak doors and then checked her watch… 

'Oh my…!' Her eyes widened in slight disbelief… Had it been two hours already? She checked the line and saw that there was two more left and gave a sigh of relief.

"Shanah… I'm hungwry…"

"Huh…?" Shanah looked at Leslie. Did she hear that correctly?

"I'm hungwry…" As if to accentuate on that fact, Leslie's stomach grumbled.

"Uhm…" Shanah swiveled to Tyler and Mark, still not done with their chatter. 'Well… they're going to stop now…'

"Just a minute, okay Les?" She stood up from the clatter of toys and walked to the two older brothers. "Tyler, Mark, do you guys have any snacks that Leslie could munch on? She's hungry."

Tyler frowned as he looked from Shanah to Leslie then that mischievous light seeped into his eyes once again. 'Oh, good one, Les…'

"Uhm… I don't know… we don't do anything in the kitchen… Mommy gets mad." Tyler gave Mark a slight nudge.

Mark went straight on cue. "Yeah… and Grammy."

Shanah frowned at the mischief she could see in their eyes, but the distinctive growl she heard from Leslie's stomach-

"Shanah… I'm really hungwry." Leslie whined as she tugged at Shanah's pants.

Shanah looked from the kids to the women with noses upturned in the air… 'Well… I'm not going to get help from their side…But…' this wasn't her house… She might get the interviewer mad if she-

"Shanah…" Leslie's whine became more pronounced.

Shanah looked down at watery blue eyes… 'Oh… heck with it… I'm not likely to get the job anyway…' she faced the two boys. "Could you take me to the kitchen? I'm going to whip something up for Leslie."

Mark's eyes bulged. "Uhm… Could you… make me some, too?"

Tyler frowned while he looked at his little brother.

Mark pouted. "Well, I'm hungry too… And I'm tired."

Shanah stared at the kids. Considering the fact that Tyler and Mark had been bugging the women to be interviewed since she got here… she'd bet that they're tired!

"Okay, just show me the kitchen and I'll make something for all of you."

Leslie jumped up and down and willingly complied as she pulled Shanah into a homey kitchen while Mark and Tyler followed.

Shanah looked around and smiled at the comfortable atmosphere. It reminded her of the olden days when grandmothers baked cookies for grandchildren… or mothers with aprons… The sun dried flowers set in the basket centerpiece along with fruit was a nice touch…

"Okay… let's see what I can do…" She saw a loaf of bread and the toaster… Easiest to do and the least intrusion…

"Tyler, you are such a big, strong little boy… I was wondering if you could please bring out the milk from the fridge? That is… if you have some."

Shanah grinned inwardly as Tyler's chest instantly puffed out at the compliment and responsibility. 

"Mark, could you pass me some butter and cheese? If it's too high in the fridge, just tell me and I'll do it myself."

Mark nodded happily, walking after his brother.

A tug at her pants made Shanah look down into Leslie's doll face. 

"What do you want me to do?"

Shanah touched the little girl's nose. "How about you tell me where the knives, plates and glasses are?"

Leslie nodded as she pointed. "Knives… plates… glasses."

In no time at all, she had buttered toast and melted cheese, cut in triangles on the plate and three glasses full of milk.

Three pairs of eyes looked at her for confirmation and Shanah smiled. "Eat up!"

Soft squeals of delight echoed in the kitchen as the three grabbed their share. She was washing the bread knife when a voice made her gasp and drop the knife- thankfully not slicing her finger!

"Miss Winter?"

'Oh no…' Shanah slowly turned around to face the professional voice, an excuse ready on her lips.

"Gammy! She played with me!"

"Granma, we got hungry."

"She made us some food."

Shanah bit her lower lip nervously as she looked at the grandmotherly figure. "I… I hope you wouldn't mind my intrusion in your kitchen… I mean…" Her voice faltered as clear, intelligent blue gray eyes caught her own.

Laddi took in the appearance of her last applicant for the day… Seems younger than the other girls… Fresh… Oh yes… of course… her application… Laddi's quick mind tried to remember what she could about this girl… Graduated, interned… So far all her references had only high praises for her… She could also tell that she was very smart through those thick glasses covering her clear emerald eyes, though at the moment, she was very nervous…

"Oh don't worry about it, Miss Winter. I'm just happy that you helped my grandchildren. I hope that they… hadn't been any… trouble." She gave a significant look at the trio who instantly grinned.

"Oh no… they weren't any trouble at all… Leslie's such an angel, and both Tyler and Mark had been such gentlemen in helping me."

That shook Laddi as she glanced at her two boys. ''Been quite a gentleman'?' Her glance went back to pant-clad woman to finish her appraisal of the last candidate. The list checked here and there in her mind.

"Miss Winter, would you mind if you let yourself in the room behind the oak wood door where the interviews are conducted? I would like to talk to my grandchildren for a moment."

Shanah quickly nodded, trying to cover her nervousness. "Of course, Mrs. Roberts."

"Bye Shanah!"

"Thanks for the food."

"Yep! Thanks!"

The children's gratitude made Shanah want to smile at them, but one look at the hard-faced grandmother, her smile faltered and she quickly scooted into the said room.

Laddi turned to the kids, her face softening. "Well?"

"I think she's nice. I like her." Leslie said as she bit into her sandwich.

"I think she's good." Mark added his own opinion.

"Better than the others… She was able to handle Leslie's whining." Tyler announced before gulping his milk.

'Ooohh… Praises from the critics… First time too…' It's her turn now… "Okay, well, you guys clean up right after, okay?"

The kids nodded before Laddi left the room.

~*~

Shanah wrung her wrists nervously while she paced in the middle of the room… 'Okay… so maybe what I did was wrong… alright… so be it… intrusion in someone else's home has always been bad… I'll just have to take whatever blow she gives me…' She looked at the closed doors and remembered that hard look on the elderly woman's face. 'Oh God, she's mad!'

She heard footsteps stop just outside the door and Shanah straightened her back to meet her judge, ready to face the consequences.

The door opened and Mrs. Roberts came in, her face as stoic as ever. "Have a seat, Miss Winter."

Shanah complied… If she didn't get into a chair soon, she'd fall over because her knees were shaking so badly!

She waited until Mrs. Roberts was behind her desk before she started her apology. "Mrs. Roberts, I know that intruding upon someone else's home is also violating personal sanctuary. I will say that I apologize for doing so, but I cannot say that I am sorry for doing so. The children were hungry and though this house does not rightfully belong to them, they do live in it, therefore a part of the household. I had asked for their permission and they willingly gave it." Shanah's hands were in tight fists on her lap while her eyes courageously met Mrs. Roberts' scrutinizing gaze…

Something ticked in Laddi's brain as she looked into the young woman's emerald eyes… It might be because though the girl was clearly nervous, she had still met and accepted the problem head on, and had not backed away like some spineless coward… Or maybe it could be because she saw honesty in those eyes and clear face, uncovered by any powder of sort… either way, she had always trusted her gut instincts. Laddi let her stoic mask fall and gave way to her true self…

Shanah blinked a couple of times to make sure that she was not seeing things as Mrs. Roberts suddenly… smiled! - warmly- at her…

Laddi leaned against her chair, her nerves finally relaxed. "I think you'll do just fine…"

Shanah tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry… I don't think I understand."

Laddi grinned. "Do you want the job, my dear?"

Shanah was still trying to keep up with what's happening… and had Mrs. Roberts just called her 'my dear'? Well, how could she ever get out of a confusing rut if she didn't get answers, right?

"Mrs. Roberts-"

"Laddi." The elder woman cut in.

Shanah gave a faltering smile, once again surprised at the warmth from this once stoic woman. "L-Laddi… I'm a bit confused… Are you offering me the position? If so, since the description of the employment is still a mystery to me, I would like to know what it is and what is to be expected. The article was vague about it."

Laddi's grin widened. The poor soul is confused… of course… "Let me clarify then, Miss Winter, or may I call you Shanah?"

"Sh-Shanah." She stuttered, still quite bewildered.

Laddi nodded. "Alright, Shanah. I am offering you the job you had applied for." She saw the look of disbelief cross her face. "The job is to be Mr. Quatre Raberba Winner's personal assistant."

At that revelation, Shanah's eyes bulged. Mr. Quatre Raberba Winner's personal assistant?! _The_ Former Gundam Pilot, head of the Winner Enterprise himself? But that could only mean…. Her gaze traveled to the grandmotherly type woman in front of her.

Laddi saw the question in her eyes and she nodded. "I'm Mr. Winner's personal assistant… Or was, if you will accept the job. You do know Mr. Winner, don't you?" Laddi wanted to see Shanah's reaction to the question and she wasn't disappointed as Shanah gave her a look of pure, utter disbelief.

"Mr. Winner is most notable in the business world…" Shanah's voice came out in a whisper.

Laddi nodded once again. "Yes… he has accomplished quite a feat, that young one…"

Shanah nodded her agreement while she tried to collect her wits about her.

"Mind you, working for him will be a challenge."

"As is every hurdle in life." Shanah answered.

Laddi grinned at the response. "He needs someone hardworking, organized, steadfast and someone who can easily take off with him to wherever he needs to go."

'So far so good…' Shanah thought, excitement starting to burst in her. She wouldn't try false modesty and say that she wasn't any of those. 

"I've talked to your references and they've all said that you are the very essence of those qualities I am looking for." Laddi saw a faint smile on Shanah's face. "Not only that, but my grandchildren have a very high regard for you already… You passed their tests."

__

That revelation nearly made Shanah fall off her seat. "_Their_ tests?"

"I put them up to it, so don't blame the kids." Laddi said with that mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Shanah concluded with conviction that the kids got their mischievous streak from the woman in front of her.

"Mr. Winner has quite a large family and sometimes they drop by. The sheer number might… overwhelm you. Are you from a large family, Shanah?"

Shanah shook her head. "Sadly, no… I would have loved to be, though."

Laddi nodded. "It's fun. Well, anyway… You will keep track of Quatre's schedule, remind him of any changes- this will include weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries- keep his papers intact, draft memos, and follow his favors."

"Favors? That's a nice substitute for orders." Shanah said, feeling giddy with excitement.

Laddi laughed. "It's favors, not orders… you'll know what I mean soon enough. So," she leaned forward, "Will you accept the job?"

Faced with the direct question, Shanah's nervousness came back in full blast. "Why would you trust someone who's just out of business school and with small training?"

Laddi grinned, that question reminding her so much of her youth. "Because when I was around your age, the late Mr. Winner interviewed me to be his personal assistant, and like you, I was just out of school… When I asked him the question akin to what you just asked me, he said that it was because he felt I would do my best in my tasks and I just needed a chance… That is how I feel about you, Shanah… I have a feeling that you will do the very best you can, you just need a chance to prove it."

Shanah's lower lip trembled at the overwhelming confidence suddenly placed upon her and she knew, deep inside her she knew that she would not let the woman in front of her down... "I will do the best I can." She heard herself whisper.

Laddi smiled. She has a feeling that Shanah will do exactly what she had just said. "How soon can you start?"

"How soon do you want me to start?"

Laddi grinned. "As soon as possible."

"Then you've got the right girl." Shanah said, confidence exuded in her tone.

Laddi grabbed a business card from the table and handed it to her. "I'll be expecting you at that address tomorrow at 7:30 am sharp. Training will start then."

Shanah nodded and tucked the card in her breast pocket, nearest to her beating heart.

Laddi extended her hand over the table…

Shanah reached out to touch it…

Warm hands, though shaking, met Laddi's own and she knew, right then that she made the right choice.

Shanah walked out of the double oak doors and saw the three kids lined up against the wall, looking at her expectantly. She stopped and gave each of them a knowing look. "You little imps tricked me…" 

The three kids grinned, not at all disagreeing with her. Shanah laughed and the kids started to laugh along. Laddi reached the door just in time to watch Shanah give Leslie a goodbye hug, and to ruffle Mark and Tyler's hair before leaving…

Shanah Winter… There was only one thing that bothered Laddi about her… The fact that she seemed to be hiding herself behind those funny looking glasses and dowdy clothes… Then again… there might be a reason why, or maybe she's just making a mountain out of a molehill…

~*~

0900 Hours  
Thursday  
Winner Enterprise 

"Do you understand it so far?"

Shanah looked up at the woman and nodded. The organizational process was pretty simple to understand… Though she made a mental note to change some things and to re-arrange the drawers later on to fit her personal taste… other than that, the usual office mechanisms were the same- except that they were all top-of-the-line office mechs… She would gradually remember her co-workers' names, though having her own personal office connected to the Head would prove it difficult to get to know the people around her ASAP… Ah well, she'll find a way.

"Give me a recap." Laddi ordered as she sat on her table.

Shanah started listing off the things she was just given a crash course on, adding which room was which and where.

Laddi grinned. "Good. You've got everything… Oh! I almost forgot!"

Shanah looked at the grimacing older woman who became her friend. "What is it?"

"You have a male counterpart."

Shanah frowned. "What do you mean?"

Laddi grinned. "His name is Rashid- and don't ask me for his last name because it's hard to pronounce. But don't worry about it, everyone calls him Rashid." She shook her head. "He's something like Quatre's personal bodyguard, most trusted friend, loyal assistant and he's a hard man to bring to your side, but once he's there, he'll stay loyal."

Shanah gulped at this new information. "Is… Is he going to… do you think he's not going to like me? Give me a hard time and all?"

Laddi frowned. "Well… most likely. Since you're new and he doesn't trust people easily, he'll give you a hard time, but stay calm… he's only doing it for Quatre's sake… Too many people are out to get him, you know."

Shanah nodded.

"Which reminds me…"

"Another thing you forgot to tell me?"

Laddi nodded, her grimace more pronounced than ever. "The most detestable part of this job."

Shanah steeled herself. "Okay, give it to me… I think I can handle it."

"You have to literally fight with women."

Her eyes blinked in disbelief at the serious look on Laddi's face… Then, Shanah couldn't help herself as she started to laugh. "Really, Laddi… come on…"

"I'm not kidding."

Shanah's laughter faded at the serious tone. She looked at Ladi. "You're serious."

It wasn't a question but Laddi still nodded. "Let's just say that being the most eligible bachelor has its ups and downs."

Shanah frowned. "Doesn't he like the attention?" She doesn't really look at the society page of the newspaper… She usually goes from comics to business to world and that's it. So, everything she knew about Mr. Winner was his reputation in the business world.

"Quatre? Like it? How about you judge that on your own." Laddi suggested while she stretched. "Ah, my aching bones."

"When is he due back, again?" Shanah asked as she went to a wall and pressed a button. A wall slid open, revealing a small kitchen.

"He's going to be back tomorrow, just in time for my party, the sweet thing."

Shanah grinned. That's the fourth time this morning, in less than two hours, that Laddi had shown how much she cared for Quatre… 'He must be quite a guy.'

~*~

2000 Hours   
Thursday   
GC25-375 (Galaxy Colony) 

"I will be expecting the latest profiles and numbers sent to the Main Office by the end of this week." A hesitant look flashed over his aquamarine eyes. "That is enough time, I presume?"

The nine men in front of him murmured their agreement.

He nodded as he stood up, wanting to escape the stifling room. "I will review the papers and give my decision as soon as possible."

The others stood also. They all shook hands with enthusiastic smiles and finally left.

His tired eyes flittered over to the corner of the room and met his friend's scowling glare. A smile tugged his lips. "Rashid, did you get everything alright?"

"Tried to get the particulars while the discussion was going on but I couldn't. I just hope Laddi would be able to distinguish who's who in this tape. I'd be happy once I'm relinquished from this job."

Quatre bit back a laugh. Rashid had been doing Laddi's job for almost a week now and… with that definitive grimace on his face, it didn't fit well with him at all!

"Rashid, you forget, it will not be Laddi who will be doing that." His tone showed his sadness.

Rashid's scowl left his face, replaced by a solemn look. "Yes. I just hope that the person who will be replacing her will be good enough."

"Well," Quatre picked his suitcase off the table, "She wanted to pick the new person her way, so… Let's just trust her judgement the way that we usually do. Shall we?"

Rashid nodded as he grabbed the pieces of papers scattered all over the desk and the tape recorder. "We have three hours to spare before the eight hours flight back."

Quatre donned his heavily tinted sunglasses and smiled. "That's just enough time to buy her a present."

"No! Not shopping!" Rashid stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the blonde youth in front of him in utter alarm.

Quatre thanked the Gods that he'd already got his back to Rashid when he let out a wide smile. 'Poor Rashid…' His friend had always disliked shopping… good thing his sisters' influence gave him an upper hand. "Come on, Rashid. How else will we be able to find the right gift?"

Rashid let out a set of expletives while one of his hands crumpled the papers he was holding and the other hand went to the gun hidden from plain view. Then, he gave a sigh of resignation and finally followed Quatre. 'Ah Allah… Get me through these three hours!'

Just for the fun of it, Quatre grinned. "I am going to get Laddi the perfect present even if I have to scour this whole colony."

Rashid inwardly screamed, while his physical outlook became darker than ever.

~*~

0730 Hours  
Friday  
Winner Enterprise 

"Master Quatre, we're here." Rashid gently shook Quatre's shoulder. The poor boy had fallen asleep in the car. They came straight from the airport, and Quatre was still clutching the present he found for Laddi… He knew for a fact that Laddi's retirement was hard on Quatre, especially since she became somewhat of Quatre's unofficial mother, and for that, he was ever thankful to the woman… At least this time, his unofficial mother wasn't really leaving him, she'd only be a couple of minutes drive away.

"Master Quatre." Rashid nudged him harder.

Quatre frowned as he was pulled away from a dreamless, much needed sleep… He could hear Rashid's voice-

"We're here, Master Quatre."

'Where? Baxter Colony? Jade? Earth?' destinations flitted through his tired mind while he slowly opened his eyes and then eyed his father's building… 'Oh…' He gave an apologetic look to Rashid.

"Let's go give Laddi her present, shall we Master Quatre?" 

Quatre gave a sigh of relief that Rashid hadn't prodded him about his sleeping habit. A grin quickly lit his tired face. He had given an early notice to all his employees that there wouldn't be any office activities this particular day. It's specifically for Laddi's retirement party, and he was quite sure that everyone would be here to give their regards.

For a moment, Quatre thanked whoever it was that installed the indoor bath in his private shuttle. At least he was able to freshen up a bit. "Rashid, you go on ahead to the conference room, I just want to deposit these papers on Laddi's desk before I forget."

Rashid frowned. "I'll do that if you want."

Quatre shook his head. "I…" have to say good bye… 

He didn't finish his sentence but Rashid saw it through his eyes. He gave a curt nod before he turned away.

Quatre sighed and his shoulders sagged. One more beloved person in his life would leave him… Of course she'd still be near but not as near as before… He'd miss her motherly hugs and kisses… her warm, delicious hot cocoas and home baked cookies… soft scolding…

With his head tilted down, he turned the knob to Laddi's office-

BLAG!

SPLASH!

"Ow!!! Hot!!!"

"Ooff!!!"

Quatre grabbed the door to stop his fall, closed his eyes and grimaced at the pain of the head-on collision of whoever collided against him. 'Great! First a migraine, now a headache.'

Shanah bit her lower lip to stop the stream of 'ouchies' that wanted to spill out of her lips while she held on to the front of her ruined blouse with one hand- to ease the heat off her chest- and the half-filled tea cup with the other.

"Oh dear…" she can still feel some warm water running down her chest but her initial worry was on the fact that her new employer would come in, find the dang spill, slip, fall and probably fire her to kingdom come…

At the nervous 'Oh dear', Quatre opened his eyes to look at the source of all his trouble, so early in the morning. He looked from the steaming mug to the tilted head and down to the wide spot of water on blouse she was holding away from her skin. His initial anger was instantly replaced with worry and slight guilt when he felt the nervousness being exuded from the woman in front of him.

'It's half my fault anyway.' Quatre chided himself. "Are you alright?" He took a step forward and the woman promptly stopped him with the world known hand signal for stop- She could have been a policewoman with that firm hand.

"Don't take another step if you don't want to slip." Her soft voice gave the warning before she moved away, half ran to Laddi's desk and took out a box of tissue papers.

Quatre looked down and saw what she meant. 

"Oohhh!!! I better clean this up before he arrives… I hope he's late…"

He watched her instantly fall on her knees to clean up the mess… for a moment, just for a teeny second, his gaze fell on that small space that showed a small expanse of chest. Quatre blushed and instantly bent down to get some tissues, his curiosity pricked by whoever this woman was… and… what does she look like? So far, all he had seen was the top of her brown hair, tightly coiled in a bun at the nape of her neck…

"Before who arrives?"

Shanah bit her lower lip when she noticed the man in front of her grab some tissue. "You don't have to help, it's alright."

"It's partly my fault. Why are you so nervous?" Quatre had never met someone in this state of nerves before… he could feel it blasting him away.

"I don't want Mr. Winner to find this spill… I'm new and-"

Quatre grinned. 'So, that's why.' He noticed thick reading glasses perched on the floor and reached out to pick it up, probably hers… As soon as he saw her nod her approval on the floor, he offered it to her.

Shanah looked at the man's hand that held her own glasses and smiled softly… She hadn't really given so much as a glance to him but he helped her wipe the floor clean and tried to talk to her… She looked up and stared into the clear aquamarine eyes, framed by dark lashes, reminding her of a clear lagoon.

A slight blush tinted her cheeks, making her face all the more… Quatre tried to find the word… 'Lovely…' He smiled at her as charmingly as he could and tried to feign off the sudden shyness he could feel coming on to him while he stared into her crystalline emerald eyes.

"Here you go." Quatre offered the glasses to her once again, not really knowing what to say.

Shanah unwillingly took her eyes away from the handsome man in front of her and looked down at her glasses, wanting to crush it to smithereens, but instead, she reached out for it. "Thank you."

"You're wel-"

"QUATRE!"

Laddi's voice interrupted Quatre while the older woman rushed to him to give him a quick motherly hug.

Shanah's eyes bulged slightly- 'Huh?!'

"Mrs. Roberts!!! I missed you." Quatre gave back the hug given to him with all the enthusiasm Laddi had.

Shanah slowly shook her head from left to right… 'It can't be…'

Laddi looked over Quatre's shoulders, saw Shanah and gave her a grin. "I see that you've met my replacement."

That kicked every doubt that rose in Shanah's mind out of the door. Through her shocked haze, she was able to straighten herself before the man who had helped her.

"Shanah Winter, this is Quatre Raberba Winner. Quatre this is Shanah, your new personal assistant."

Quatre felt the sudden change in Shanah as he reached out for a handshake. The once warm though nervous air disappeared, replaced by a slightly cold aura. He watched as she reached out for his hand, watched as she quickly donned on her glasses before they touched and gave a firm, indifferent handshake.

"Good morning, Mr. Winner."

Quatre nearly frowned but he caught himself. She'd just set the ground rules on how they would call each other… though he would have liked it better if she'd just call him by his name and vice versa. "Pleasure, Ms. Winter." For a moment, the irony of her name and the cold aura he could feel dropped in his mind…

Laddi frowned at the icy demeanor between the two… Did something unpleasant just happen here?

"I'm sorry for the earlier trouble, Mr. Winner. I promise that in the future, I will make sure it will never happen again."

Quatre nodded, letting go of her icy hand. Maybe he could blame the reason for her sudden change to embarrassment? "It's alright, Ms. Winter. It was partly my fault."

"It is still a promise I intend to keep, sir." Shanah looked down at the tissue papers in her hands. "Excuse me, I have to throw these away…"

Laddi shook her head but her happiness that Quatre got back in time made her forget as she pulled the youth into the party. 

Quatre followed with a grin, but in the back of his mind he had a feeling that Shanah's sudden change wasn't at all due to embarrassment…

Inside the office, Shanah splashed cold water on her face and recalled what just happened. "I wished he was late… I can't believe I said that to him!" She wiped her face, donned her glasses once again. 

Well… he didn't fire her, so she'd just make sure that she would be the best PA he had ever had and make sure that he would forget about that little incident.

For a moment, she recalled those soft aqua eyes when he stared at her… She shook her head vigorously and covered up the fact that she found him attractive. "Money, brains, power and looks…" She stopped… 'Yep… definitely looks…' She shook her head again. "No wonder women are after him… Guess I really will have a handful on my hands…"

She looked at her now plain features… at her thick glasses… at her tightly pinned hair… at her tasteless clothes and nodded, giving herself time to thank whoever it was that told her to always keep spare clothes in the office before walking back into the party. 


	2. Reflections of Beauty 2

Whispers of the Heart **

Reflections of Beauty  
Chapter 2  
by: Obsolete Love

**

"I am sorry, Ms. Star but you can _not_ see Mr. Winner." Shanah gripped her hands together for two reasons: patience, being that she had said that sentence for the fifth time to the voluptuous woman in front of her; and because she might just slap Ms. Star's face to the ends of the universe. 

Ms. Star pouted her lower lip and gave a 'look-at-me-aren't-I-cute' pleading look with the 'give-me-what-I-want' air.

If she weren't so irritated, she'd have laughed! God! Had she looked like that when… She stopped herself, not letting her mind dawdle in the past… Laughable!

Ms. Star saw the plain woman's 'no' through those thick glasses and knew that she wouldn't waver… 'Just like Laddi… I wonder where Laddi got this twerp.' The sarcastic thought just left her mind when she gave an overall look at the 'Ms. Winter'. 

Quatre's new secretary looked like someone from an oldies era… Old Earth… no looks, no taste for clothes… Well… at least she could be sure that there's no competition coming from this certain wench.

"Ms. Winter, I don't think you understand. Quatre will dearly love to see me. We have an… understanding."

At that moment, Shanah's patience broke. She'd heard the exact phrase from all the other women that had been in her office. She didn't even hear the outer door open, or notice the three figures that came inside in her anger… all she knew was that this woman in front of her was the fiftieth supermodel who had passed by this morning since her day had started and she had had enough!

Shanah stood up, braced her frame on her desk and met the woman's heavily painted eyes with her own blazing ones. 

"Ms. Star, if Mr. Winner had even wanted to see you, he would have given me a message from the very start. Also, the fact that he did not even mention your name, and that his schedule is booked for the day, I suggest you turn tail and get out of this office before I call the security for pestering and distracting me from my pile of work."

Ms. Star's eyes blazed with fury and Shanah saw the real person behind her 'oh-I'm-so-sweet' demeanor.

"If you think that I'm going to be booted out of that door because of your-"

Shanah pressed the intercom. "Security." She gave a significant look at Ms. Star.

"Yes, Ms. Winter?" A man's voice answered.

Ms. Star's eyes slanted in hate, memorizing Shanah's features. She leaned down and swiped Shanah's hand away from the intercom. 

"Don't think that I don't know your games, Ms. Winter. I know that you just want him for yourself, but get this into your head, you are going to have one hell of a fight."

Shanah leaned to Ms. Star's face, putting her own angry face nose to nose with her. "You know, I hope I will never stoop so low to fighting with you. That would be most immature."

With an angry growl, Ms. Star turned around and stomped out of the office.

Shanah, on the other hand, waited until the door slammed shut before she fell onto Laddi's old chair. She closed her eyes, trying to shake off her frazzled nerves… 'I can't believe I did that…'

She only had time enough to prepare the drinks in the private conference room when the first set of people came in. There wasn't even enough time to say 'Good morning' to Quatre and offer him a drink. Judging from the light inside Quatre's personal meeting room, it was clear that he was already in there, so she just ushered the group right in… 

Then, when she came out, she saw a beautiful woman waiting in her office to meet Quatre… It seemed as if the moment she was able to fend off one, another just pops right in! And it's only been an hour in her first day so far!!!

'Oh dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into! When had super models ever risen this early in the morning?!'

The sound of applause made Shanah jerk from her seat and she saw Laddi, and two people she met from the party last Friday- oh yes, her counterpart, Rashid, and Ann, Laddi's daughter in law… And at the moment, Laddi and Ann were smiling while Rashid had- is that a smile? -on his face…

"Bravo!" Ann cried out as she reached Shanah's desk, patting the new PA's shoulder.

"Good one, Shanah! I hope Ms. Star will think twice before coming back here again! You handled her quite effectively, if I do say so myself." Laddi pressed the link to Security. "Wesley, forget about the call."

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh, I forgot about that…" Shanah whispered as she cupped her chin on her palm.

"That's okay… You know I wish I met you sooner! I could have gotten some lessons from you." Laddi grinned up at Rashid. "So, whatcha think? Did I choose a good one, or did I choose a good one?"

Rashid shook his head at Laddi's usual demeanor. "There's no choice in that question." He walked to the conference room.

Shanah felt a tug of sadness. Her counterpart still didn't trust her…

Rashid stopped just as he was about to open the door and then smiled to himself. "But I must admit… I agree with Laddi… quite an effective way of dealing with them…" Then he went inside the office.

Ann and Laddi all turned to Shanah with wide smiles.

"Well… I dare say that you got Rashid on your side." Ann announced gaily, liking Shanah even more. According to her kids, she was nice, and when she met her during the party, she had liked her… but now… Whoooee! Had she got a story to tell Jessamyne and Iria!

Shanah blinked. "I… I did?"

Laddi nodded. "Yep. From now on, Rashid is one of your loyal friends."

"He is?"

Ann laughed. "Shanah, breathe… you did and he is, end of questions, k?"

Shanah laughed. She never thought, when she applied for this job, that she'd meet such wonderful people!

Something tugged at the back of Ann's mind while Laddi talked to Shanah… Something that Ms. Star had said… Her eyes went back to observe the new PA and three years of being in the cosmetics business made her check details…

'Potential… potential…' the thought flitted around her head. "Hey Shanah, how about we give those models something to worry about?"

Shanah frowned as she stared at Ann in confusion. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

Ann grinned as she sat down at the edge of Shanah's desk. "Well, with a little blush of pink here and there… maybe some green… wardrobe…" Ann's voice faded when she saw fire embark in Shanah's eyes. 

"No thank you." Shanah looked away.

"But you'd be beautiful!" 

Laddi saw Shanah cringe.

"Ann, I don't have to look beautiful for this job." Shanah stood up and walked to the wall to get some cups and brew some coffee… She was pretty sure that the drinks inside the Conference Room were gone by now.

Laddi saw Ann about to say something and quickly shook her head at the girl. 'Looks like our little Shanah has very passionate feelings about beauty…'

"Well, Shanah, we just dropped by to see how you are doing. We won't bother you anymore." Laddi started to pull a confused Ann out of the room.

"Oh wait! Don't you want some coffee or doughnuts?" Shanah called out to them.

Laddi just smiled. "Go on with your work. Ann and I have something to do."

Before Shanah could say another word, the door closed.

Ann glared at Laddi. "Mom, whatcha do that for?"

"Ann, use your head." Laddi replied while she walked to the elevators.

"I am using my head."

Laddi sighed. "Shanah doesn't want to look beautiful."

"Yes, but she is. And she's kind and helpful and smart. Don't you think that she'd be perfect for Quatre?" Ann prodded on.

"I hired her to take my place, not to match her to Quatre."

Ann grinned. "Ahh, but that's the case, mom… You're not matchmaking them, I will be doing that wonderful job."

Laddi rolled her eyes. "Ann Roberts! Didn't you see how much she hated the topic of makeover when you brought it up? Didn't you see how she looked at Ms. Star? Have you ever seen anything on her face other than her light lipstick? Does she strike you as a person who'd want to parade in frills just to attract some guy?"

Once again, Ann put up her hands up in surrender. "Alright, mom. I get it… Sorry."

"Okay… now leave it alone."

Ann nodded as she stared at the declining lights inside the elevator. "I still say that she and Quatre might hit it off."

"Gah! I don't know how my son puts up with you!"

Ann grinned and looped an arm around Laddi. "What can I say? He loves me."

~*~

Rashid watched as Shanah brought in a tray of fashionable silver thermoses into the room while Quatre was staring at the stats on his computer.

A grin lighted his face as he remembered what happened just a while ago. He watched her bite her lip nervously before placing the tray at the table by a wall and then, to his surprise, she took out pieces of paper and placed them in front of the thermoses.

'Smart… Labels…'

She turned to face him with an inquiring eyebrow and Rashid pointed to the left most of the thermoses. In no time at all, she had a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, complete with an array of sugar, cream, etc. on his saucer.

He nodded his thanks to Shanah before she disappeared into her office just as Quatre looked up and noticed the new thermoses.

Rashid saw a slight frown of confusion on Quatre's face then saw understanding filter in those eyes. He knew then that Quatre's question found an answer in that quick brain of his.

"Gentlemen, how about some more coffee or tea before we continue?"

The group of four nodded their agreement before walking toward the small table.

Quatre glanced over at Rashid and saw a surprisingly entertained grin playing on his friend's lips… 'Hmmm I have to ask him what's so funny. Maybe I'll be able get my first laugh this morning too…'

An hour later, Quatre stretched his frame out of the chair. They were able to finish fifteen minutes earlier than planned- good… Quatre faced Rashid and saw that the unmistakable smirk was still plastered on his face.

"Rashid, what's so amusing?" Quatre walked into the adjoining room and Rashid followed.

"Nothing…"

Quatre glanced at his old friend while he sat in his chair, and saw a glitter in his brown eyes. "Really? It's very rare to see you like this, you know."

Rashid just shrugged.

Quatre frowned then shrugged. "Alright. If you don't want to tell me, then so be it." He leaned to the intercom as he pressed a button. "Ms. Winter, please come in here?"

"Yes sir."

Rashid suddenly coughed and Quatre gave another glance at his friend who still looked as if he was trying to stop peals of laughter. 'Interesting…'

The door opened and Quatre's gaze instantly reverted to Shanah, wearing her usual white blouse and black pants ensemble. 

"Yes, Mr. Winner?"

"Uhm… Ms. Winter, has there been any… unexpected visits recently?" Quatre mentally started praying, 'Please I hope they didn't… please I hope they didn't…'

At that question, Rashid gasped, quickly ran into the conference room, and banged the door shut. Shanah and Quatre looked at the door and in a few seconds, they heard loud guffaws of laughter.

Shanah bit back a grin and willed herself to face Quatre with her usual composed demeanor while Quatre was still having a hard time trying to gauge what had just happened to his placid Rashid.

"Was there something I missed?" He had this distinctive feeling that Ms. Winter was the answer to his questions.

Shanah shook her head. "No sir. There were some unexpected calls, but since you didn't give any early notice for 'unexpected' visits, I presumed that you didn't want to be disturbed and promptly asked them to leave."

Quatre mentally breathed out a sigh of relief. If they weren't able to get past Shanah, then that could only mean that she had handled them quite well. "Thank you, and yes, you presumed correctly. Of course I hope you also presume that if the unexpected visitor is a family member, you will tell me as soon as possible?"

Shanah nodded. "Of course, sir."

With that problem settled, Quatre opened his drawer and took out a cheerfully wrapped box and a vase from under his desk. "I wasn't able to officially welcome you last Friday. These are for you." He stood up.

Shanah eyed the single, long stemmed, pink rose in half bloom, the gift, then the man walking towards her in disbelief. There was only one word she could utter- "Huh?"

Quatre grinned as he handed her the box, seeing the golden flecks in her wide emerald eyes. "I hope you'll like it." He had a feeling that she would give it back to him if he went overboard, so he took the safest course and got her an almost similar blouse that he ruined last Friday.

Shanah stared at the gift in her hands. "Uhm… Thank you…"

At that moment, Quatre saw the wintry ice that she had enclosed herself in slowly chip away. 'Wish she'd take off those glasses.'

She looked up at him and smiled hesitantly. "Uh… should I open it?"

Quatre shrugged and his grin turned into a smile that coaxed Shanah's own faltering smile into a real one. "It's up to you." Her smile illuminated her face, making it look softer… 'Nice smile… she should do it more often…'

'How sweet…' The thought flitted in her mind while she stared into his beautiful eyes… Then she suddenly remembered who was in front of her. Shanah mentally shook her head and straightened.

Quatre sighed inwardly as he felt that icy cold aura surround her once again, shielding her… from what? He did not know.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Winner. Really."

Quatre nodded. "I'll walk you back to your desk." He didn't get any response while he followed her. He saw a tender smile upon her face when he dropped the vase on her desk, which showed that warmth in her… but it was too quickly gone. He gave a parting nod and was about to enter his own office when a question stopped him.

"Mr. Winner, I wasn't able to give you your early drinks. Would you like me to make you coffee or tea?"

Quatre shook his head. "Tea in the afternoon, perhaps, but so early in the morning, I think I would rather get a sugar boost. A cup of hot cocoa would suit me better. Thank you for the offer, Ms. Winter." Then he finally went inside.

Shanah stared at the closed door for a moment and then a soft smile lighted her face while she faced the rose on her desk… 'Laddi's right… Sweet…' then like a child opening her first Christmas present, Shanah enthusiastically opened her gift.

Within the white folds of tissue papers, she found a blouse almost similar to her own, but instead of cotton, it was silk… and it hinted of femininity…

A part of her gushed at the present while another part of her screamed out for her to wear it, and still another part of her was sad, knowing that she would never wear such clothing…

With a sigh, Shanah closed the box once again, and hid her present in the lowest drawer, along with a new set of extra clothes.

'Time to make some hot cocoa. Good choice too…'

~*~

Quatre stared at the door that linked his office to Ms. Winter's… Somehow, he was… intrigued with her… Well, who wouldn't be? One moment, she was warm and sweet as honey, and then the next, she was as cold as an iceberg!

He heard the door to the conference room open and saw a contained Rashid walk inside. "Since you're probably not going to tell me what got you to laugh so hard, I'm not even going to ask." Quatre forced himself to start on the set of proposals in front of him.

Rashid just grinned and turned to his own desk, situated in the other end of the room. "By the way, Ms. Une had wanted to say that your overture for some of the Preventer's files are acceptable and that they're going to make the changes soon."

Quatre grinned. "That's good, I hope she's well."

"She looked very healthy." Rashid faced his computer and started typing. "Quatre, vid-mess for you."

"Who's it from?" He stood and walked to Rashid's computer just as his old friend opened it.

Duo's grinning face appeared on the monitor. "Hey Q-man! Just wanted to say thanks for swaying in some more customers to my side. I came 'highly recommended' by 'Mr. Winner'." Duo laughed as he motioned the quotes with his hands. "Well, anyway, thanks again, dude. I know you're busy, but get some time out. Maybe you can hang out here or something some time." With a victory sign and a wink, the message ended.

Quatre grinned as he walked back to his chair and made a mental note to call Duo later. "How's the Maganacs' poll for Duo and Hilde?"

Rashid smiled at Quatre. "Some are starting to move to the 'Will never marry' side. You sure you're not going to move there too?"

Quatre shook his head. "Nope, I've got a feeling about this one."

'Ah… when Quatre has a feeling… he's got a feeling.' Rashid nodded. "Alright, I'm going to add some more credits to my account on that poll."

"What about the other one?" Quatre asked while that wide smile of his reached ear to ear. The poll started out as a game… and now, it was still on going. It never failed to bring a smile to his face.

"7,000 credits Never and 1,000 Yes."

Quatre rubbed his newly shaved chin. "Well, those two _are_ hard… I mean, at least Hilde and Duo see each other…"

"Still want to stick to 'Yes'?" Rashid asked as he gave Quatre a mischievous grin.

"Still sticking."

"You're going to lose you know." Rashid said cheerfully.

"Let's see… I'm not losing hope yet… If I have to, I'm going to knock those two on their heads, hypnotize them, and do whatever."

Rashid laughed hard once again, for the second time that morning… quite unusual… "Well, I'm still sticking to Never. And don't you dare do that because it's cheating."

Quatre shrugged as he gave his attention back to the papers, his mood finally lightened. "Suit yourself."

~*~

1800 Hours

2 Months Later:

A knock resounded in Quatre's room before it opened.

Quatre didn't have to ask who was at the door and his thoughts were confirmed as Shanah came inside. 

"Is there anything else you would like me to do, Mr. Winner?"

Quatre shook his head as he smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Winter, but I think I've got everything I need. You may go home."

He saw her nod curtly.

"Good night, then, Mr. Winner."

"Good night to you too, Ms. Winter." Quatre checked his watch and noticed the time. A frown appeared on his face. Granted that she was supposed to be his personal assistant, but he didn't want to overwork her… Not to mention that waiting for him to tell her when she may go home was somewhat embarrassing for him… "Ms. Winter."

Shanah stopped at the door and promptly turned around. "Yes sir?"

"Office Hours end at exactly 1700 hours… er… 5:00pm. I noticed that it's already 1800 and I just wanted to tell you that you do not have to stay unless if I ask you to stay. You can leave promptly at 1700 if you wish."

Once again, he noticed that nod, as if a subordinate to an officer, before leaving his office… 

Shanah leaned against his door, half wanting to go in once again and yell at his face to go home and rest when she remembered those dark circles under his eyes… He works so hard… Goes home so late… And it was not only for the profit's sake, either. Every time there was a meeting or a proposition being offered, his first question was-

__

'What can the people gain from it?'

Not the usual- '_What can we gain from it_?' that her previous employers usually asked… That had struck her heart and that knowledge stayed with her… She'd also started to read the society page in her newspapers and sometimes she would just want to tear some of those articles that talked so badly about him!

Well… actually, she sent a dozen of hate letters to the author of one article and probably flooded another writer's email with junk mail… but still!

'Ergh… Shanah, you're becoming over protective of him… If I didn't know myself any better, I'd say I'm starting to really like him.' 

Shanah closed her drawers with a jerk at that thought. 'Heck no! I'm not going to be that kind of a secretary! Besides…' She walked to the outer door, catching a dim reflection of herself in the mirrors. 'What can a guy like him see in someone like me?'

Shanah gave a satisfied grin to her reflection, loving the fact that it showed a very plain looking girl then… her cheerfulness disappeared, replaced by a feeling akin to sadness…

'Ah well… Good night, Quatre…'

Shanah closed the door…

~*~

Quatre sighed as he leaned against his chair, his acute sense of hearing picked up the sounds of drawers being shut closed and finally, her echoing footsteps out the door…

She was one intriguing woman… She's able to do everything Laddi's done… save for that first official day of hers… But right after that day, he goes in his office and finds a mug of warm hot cocoa, his papers neatly stacked and orderly… and Shanah with her back straight, ready to take notes in front of his desk…

Then there's the fact that for the past two months, not a single "uninvited" guest was able to bother him!!! So far, everything hinted on such an icy personality but… Quatre remembered those few times when he saw her warmth… and those few times when his sisters, nephews and nieces passed by… The smile on her face as she held Hannah's newborn babe… that laughter of hers while playing with the kids… 

It made him wonder why she isn't that way with him… Why she kept that icy wall around her when he could feel warmth trying to escape…

"Or maybe you're just going crazy… again." Quatre gave a wry smile while he stared at the papers in front of him. 

What was really bothering him?

Once again, his thought went back to the contrast between Shanah's actions toward him and toward other people. 

'Okay… so I'm bothered that someone near me seems to not like me…' Quatre turned the paper without really understanding the previous page. 'Okay… so I find her eyes beautiful and maybe I think that her smile is great …' He started tapping his pencil on his desk nervously. 

'Aw heck with it…' He went back to the first page then dropped the paper on top of his stack of 'unread' proposals that Rashid had sent to him from L-7. He's not going to be able to give his full attention to it anyway, so might as well go home.

~*~

1200 Hours

Shanah stared at the last page of the proposal Quatre had drafted from the previous night… Confusion and suspicion rose in her as, for the third time that week, she stared at a piece of paper with inverted d's, or f's or upside down q's or g's, and other indecipherable letters in Quatre's handwriting.

Granted, he was under a lot of pressure and stress lately because of a sudden setback in a project and major trouble in a subordinate company… but are those the reasons why she's staring at this type of handwriting?

His previous drafts were all perfect in both grammar and penmanship, much like the other drafts… but this was the third time that the last page of a draft had such errors…

Could it be that…?

Shanah shook her head, not yet sure. How she wished she could ask Laddi what this was all about… or ask Quatre… but… she had a feeling that this problem might turn into an explosive one… Or maybe she was just getting paranoid?

Either way, she still kind of understood what word Quatre wanted to use… so… for now, she would just go ahead and edit it for him… He was still going to read it afterwards anyway… and he wouldn't know the difference, now would he?

Shanah sighed as she started typing up the draft.

~*~

"Rashid, really… Go home and relax, I'll just finish this up." Quatre coaxed the man in front of him.

Rashid stared from Quatre to the stack of papers in front of him. "Quatre-"

"Rashid, there are a lot of people we can help if this project pulls through. I want to finish this as quickly as possible and have it out. I know that I haven't been sleeping and that I need rest, but how about if you let me finish this last paper and then I promise you that I'll take my time with the other ones and go home early tomorrow?"

He wanted to argue… how he wanted to but… He knew that stubborn tilt and that look… Besides, he couldn't really dictate his actions that much anymore… Quatre was already a man, not the boy he used to take care of… But… he knew he still had his influence on him. Rashid gave Quatre a glare. "Tomorrow." Then he walked out of the office. He gave a quick appraisal at Shanah's clear desk and smiled softly. The girl had somehow burrowed her way into his heart… 

'Heh… but I like seeing how she fends off those women.' Rashid thought happily while closing the door behind him.

Quatre dropped his weight in his chair and let out a sigh of relief… Rashid's nagging about getting rest was worse than Laddi's! And he would… just as soon as he finishes up some paper work…

He glanced at the papers on his desk… Not really his favorite part of the job, but it's a must…

Seconds ticked to minutes… Minutes to hours and once again Quatre's head started to throb painfully… He tried to concentrate as best as he could, but the letters still started swimming around the page in an incomprehensible group…

Quatre leaned back on his chair and tilted his head to face the ceiling, his eyes closed. He knew that he's been pushing himself too hard… but he needed to get some stuff done soon. His hand massaged his temples but his headache didn't stop… Never does… Once he starts having them… no point-

'But I need to finish this!' Quatre wearily shook himself once again and stared at the paper… For a moment, he almost understood the words and then it started swimming around once again… darting here and there…

'I don't need this…' Quatre grimaced. "Dammit!" the word was wrenched out of his lips… He rarely ever swore… only when his patience was stretched to its limit and when his stupid spells hit him hard on his blind side, especially when he wanted to finish some things.

'Maybe if I close my eyes and rest for a little while.' He leaned his head on his hands, elbows propped on his desk, and his eyes closed…. Only for a few seconds… only for a minute or two… 

Then his head dropped on top of the papers and promptly gave up to a much-needed sleep… 

~*~

"Thanks Sam." Shanah whispered to her security escort. Good thing she had her own set of keys to the building… She just forgot something… and not just for the first time too… She shivered at the freezing air inside her office and wished she had worn a sweater… 

'Feels like Pluto…' Her eyes quickly spied her organizer and she grabbed it in relief. She needed to rearrange some stuff in it.

Light spilling through the small space from Quatre's office made Shanah turn and stare at the closed doors… A glance at her wristwatch told her the time and she inwardly grimaced… She had heard from the previous guards that Quatre hadn't been going home these past few days… The taut lines on his cheerful face were huge indicators of that fact…

Reaching a decision, she walked to the door, already making up an excuse if he asked her why she was there.

__

'I just forgot my organizer, Mr. Winner. I just came in to see who would be in your office at this hour…'

Okay… plausible enough… She opened the door and peeked in and the sight she saw made her heart melt like butter…

"Oh Quatre…" her whisper came out as soft as the summer breeze while she walked to his desk… Asleep on top of a stack of papers with his platinum gold bangs falling over his face… her handsome employer.

She gave into the temptation to stare at him… stare at him to her heart's content… and for a moment, she almost brushed back those inviting bangs… Her reasonable mind cried out for her to wake him up and warred with the one that was telling her to leave him alone and let him sleep undisturbed…

The latter won as she quietly started to walk back to the door… Her body shivered once again and she became all too aware of how cold it was…

Shanah's glance darted to Quatre's slumped form and knew that if she was feeling this cold… he's probably freezing, too… If he slept through the night in this temperature, he would probably catch a cold the next day and get sick or something…

Her gaze fell on Quatre's coat, hanging neatly on Rashid's backrest and she didn't lose any time as she walked to it, grabbed it and walked to Quatre's side.

As gently as she could, so she wouldn't wake him, she draped the coat over his shoulders and made sure that it was secure… then, involuntarily, her hand went to his hair to tenderly brush it from his face…

"Sleep peacefully with cherished dreams." Shanah whispered, remembering how her mother used to say the same phrase before she went to sleep. Then she drew back her hand, walked out of the office and closed the door as softly as possible… 

She had not noticed how those clear, aquamarine eyes followed her trek…

~*~

Shanah walked into her office, studying the day's schedule, memorizing as much detail as she could. She didn't even need to look at where she's going while she read her organizer and sat on her chair. Her hand instantly went to the set of keys in her purse and took them out. For a moment, she let her gaze drift from the schedule to the keys so she could choose which key was needed but something caught her eyes…

Slowly, she let her organizer drop from in front of her face and she saw a single long stemmed pink rose on her desk, almost similar to the one she received from Quatre before… but this one didn't have a vase… 

A confused frown appeared on her face while she slowly reached for the card tied around its green stem.

__

'Thank you for the coat.'

Shanah's jaw dropped as she reread the sentence. 'But that could only mean…'

"Good morning."

Shanah swiveled around, surprised at the cheerful greeting. Her eyes took in Quatre's tall frame, straining the confines of his perfectly tailored suit while he leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, looking fresh as the rose on her desk… Grinning just as charmingly as he always does…

Embarrassment washed over her while she remembered how unprofessional she acted last night.

Quatre's smile didn't waver as he walked to her desk and sat on its edge, liking her cute surprised-shocked look. He motioned to the flower. "I wanted to thank you for the coat. I had a very peaceful sleep, thank you."

Shanah gulped. 'Peaceful?' That could only mean… He was awake the whole time…! Anger replaced her previous embarrassment. "You were awake?!"

Quatre grinned as he saw fire in her emerald eyes. At least he's getting some emotion from her, not at all like the usual stoic person who had been his PA for the past few months… When she covered him with his coat and whispered her good tidings for only his ears to hear… He knew then that he didn't want the same stoic person who'd been working for him… He wanted the person last night… the real Shanah…

"I woke up when you placed that coat around my shoulders. It _was_ cold in here last night." He didn't want to lie to her. He liked how he felt last night.

'O God!!! Okay Shanah… you can still save yourself…' She tried to school her features into her PA self.

He saw her quickly scooting back to her usual phlegmatic self.

"I'm sorry about the way I acted last night, Mr. Winner. I can assure you that it will never happen again."

Quatre didn't lose any time. "On the contrary, Ms. Winter, I would like it to happen again." He saw that shocked look on her face before he gave his argument.

"E-excuse me?"

"Ms. Winter, if you hadn't wrapped that coat around me, and I had slept through the whole night in that drafty room, I would have woken up with a headache and a runny nose, or worse maybe a fever with the rate I've been working. That would have been disastrous to the effect of delaying some much in need of attention projects. I only have you to thank for from preventing that disaster from happening."

Shanah could only stare at Quatre. "I… I…"

Quatre decided to push his luck while she's still in shock… He really would like to call her by her first name… and she by his… "And Ms. Winter, I pride myself in having a very comfortable working environment. At the moment, I am committing hypocrisy."

He waited for her to question him, and she did.

"Why is that, sir?"

Okay… he's reviewed his argument earlier this morning… So, here goes… "My previous assistant, Mrs. Roberts, calls me Quatre and so does Rashid. In a way, I find it somewhat disconcerting that you call me Mr. Winner."

He saw her shock disappear, replaced by anger and that intelligent glint in her eyes. "It is the way that a professional business should be run, though."

"True, I won't argue with that fact. But how about if we drop off the formalities when there is no one else around except for Rashid? Don't you feel more comfortable with first name basis, rather than last? Mrs. Roberts did it."

For a moment, Shanah hesitated. True, she'll feel more comfortable but… "Sir, that would not be fair. In due respect of your previous assistant, Laddi did call you Quatre but you called her Mrs. Roberts. Why is it that you did not call her Laddi instead?"

Quatre grinned. It couldn't have been better had he planned it. "But you see, I hold a certain degree of respect to Mrs. Roberts… She had worked for me for such a long time that I consider her like… a mom. I couldn't bring myself to call her Laddi and I also couldn't call her mom, so Mrs. Roberts is the only option."

Shanah grinned at his insightful argument, feeling slightly rejuvenated by their banter. "Noted and understood, sir."

"Quatre." He prompted.

Shanah nodded. "Quatre."

"Shall I discontinue on calling you Ms. Winter?" Here's the critical part.

"Only if you find it uncomfortable… Quatre."

Quatre grinned, hearing his name once again. "Actually, Shanah, I do."

"You are the boss." Gads! I'm acting too unprofessionally!

"That I am… so I have one more favor to ask, being the boss." Quatre breathed in deeply for courage… Why he's doing this… he had no idea!

"Yes?" Shanah instinctively reached for her memo pad and pencil.

Quatre grinned. "Please act as you would around other people when you are with me…"

Shanah blinked a couple of times in confusion and Quatre decided to leave it at that for now… he was able to accomplish quite a feat today. "Thanks for the coat, once again, Shanah." With those parting words, he entered his office…

'Act as I would around other people?' Shanah stared at Quatre's back, seeing the door start to close… All right. He asked for it. "You're the one who said that! Don't say I didn't warn you!" Shanah called out before the door closed.

Quatre grinned from the other side of the door while Shanah smiled on her side. For some reason, she felt lighter, happier and quite up to any task to be given…

Rashid came inside Quatre's office while Shanah was making Quatre's usual drink. For a moment, Rashid stopped as he stared at a cheerfully smiling Quatre, reading over the papers on his desk.

Quatre looked up and grinned at Rashid. "Good morning, Rashid! Hope you slept well."

Rashid frowned. He was expecting a dead tired Quatre… not an exuberantly lively one… He only grunted out his answer.

"I'll take that as a yes then."

Before Rashid could open his mouth for a retort, the door opened and Shanah came inside in her usual ensemble… actually smiling in Quatre's presence!

"Here's your morning hot cocoa, Quatre. Is there any change in the schedule you'd like to make?"

Rashid's eyes bulged. 'Er?'

Quatre shook his head as he smiled back at Shanah. "I haven't found anything wrong with any of your scheduling so far, Shanah. Thank you for the drink."

Rashid shook his head. 'HUH?'

"You're welcome. I'll come in for the drafts in about ten minutes. I'll just get the conference room ready."

"All right Shanah."

Rashid watched her enter the Conference Room while Quatre went back to his task with that silly grin on his face.

He couldn't take it! He just couldn't take it! Like a volcano erupting… the words spilled out of his lips…

"What in the blazing, burning dessert is going on here?!" 

Quatre looked up at his friend's rarely confused face and felt a rumble start deep in his chest… then he let it out and a merry laugh rang in his office.


	3. Reflections of Beauty 3

Reflections of Beauty

Reflections of Beauty  
By Obsolete Love  
Chapter 3 

Shanah wavered just outside of Quatre's door, with a cup of tea in her hands… Not that she's afraid he'd do something but the hint of stress, tension, and pressure was so strong that it was suffocating… Not only that, but his gentle grace had started to show hints of suppressed anger… although, he was covering that up quite nicely.

"Quatre?"

"Yes." 

Shanah bit her lower lip at the curt answer she received… Ah well, time to enter the lion's den… "I brought you some tea… it might relax you a bit."

His once lively and clear aquamarine eyes held a dull tinge to them as he looked at her and smiled his tired smile. "Thanks."

Shanah placed the mug on his desk and stood in front of him hesitantly… She would like to stay and help… but he's not asking for help… he's putting his entire burden on his shoulders and tackling everything by himself. Lack of sleep and strain showed not only through his physical outlook but also through his words in the drafts she received. It had become a lot less understandable.

"Are your things ready for the flight?"

Shanah nodded. "Ready and waiting."

"Good."

She saw, for a moment, a relaxation around his tense face while he breathed in the tea's aroma.

"Quatre, the Terran formation in the Outer Belt does need financial backups but should that extend to so much worry and burden on you?"

For the first time of what seemed like weeks, Quatre felt a real smile come over his face at the concern that dripped from her words. "Thanks, Shanah, but they don't only need financial backup. Besides, worry and burden are a part of business."

Shanah sighed. "Not to the extent that you're pushing yourself."

Quatre felt slightly defensive. Why is it that he suddenly felt the need to explain himself? "I only need to finish this last project."

"That project and a couple of others." Shanah muttered under her breath then shrugged and walked out of the room.

Quatre pressed his lips tightly together while he stared at his closed door. 'What is up with everyone? It's not as if I've done something wrong… When I finish this, there's a chance that 75% of the deprived population in the colonies might be able to get decent jobs and homes…'

He returned his gaze to the last sheet of paper he was reviewing and to his disgust, saw the lines start to become alive once again… A queasy feeling swept through Quatre and he quickly glanced out to check upon the artificial lighting of the colony… He glanced down at his watch and tried to focus on the numbers before he gave up…

A stream of maledict rushed out of his lips. 'Why the hell do I have this anyway?'

He tried, once again, to focus on the paper only to throw it away with a grimace. 'I'm just happy it's not starting to show up in my handwriting…' 

Quatre started remembering Laddi's scolding voice about getting enough rest before thrusting a bunch of paper under his nose that showed the evidence of his stress.

Well… at least Laddi kept her word to shred all of them afterward and to keep his problem a secret. He didn't want anyone to know…

He glanced at the mug on his desk and saw that it was empty. 'Guess I better get some more… Damn papers…'

~*~

Shanah rubbed her temple while she tried to get the right word for what Quatre meant in the sentence. The handwriting was hard to understand not to mention that she's pretty sure Quatre knew each word he would like to appear on the draft. But how in the world could she understand a Martian language?!

Fine… So, for a couple of days, everything went on smoothly and then stuff started zooming into the office that added a new layer of stress on poor Quatre…

Okay, so she has yet to tell him what she knows… so she hadn't complained to him about the byproducts of his stressed out condition, he's got enough to worry about now…

'But God! His handwriting is getting harder and harder to decipher!'

"Shanah?" 

At the sound of that soft baritone, Shanah nearly fell off her seat in surprise. She tried to sit up straight and at the same time cover Quatre's drafts- and her own translations without appearing guilty.

Guilty emerald eyes met Quatre's own and he frowned in confusion as he noticed her futile attempt to hide the papers on her desk. "What are you doing?"

Shanah shook her head. "N-nothing… Nothing! Just… just typing out your memos…" Her voice trailed off when Quatre walked to her desk and gently pulled her hands away from the papers…

Shanah flinched as she saw- for the very first time- Quatre's soft eyes harden into something akin to steel… Somehow, she knew that he'd be mad once he found out what she had been doing…

He turned to her, the translations in his hand. "Since when have you started doing this?"

She opted to be funny. "Uhm… about thirty minutes ago."

Quatre's eyes slanted. "You know what I mean. I'm not stupid."

Shanah frowned. "I didn't say that you were."

"You hinted on it!"

Shanah's jaw dropped. "I did not!"

"And now you're telling me that I'm hearing things?!" Quatre turned away from Shanah, walked into his office and then slammed his door shut.

She closed her eyes, her hands in fists… 'It's the stress talking… it's the stress talking… it's the stress… Ah to hell with it! He's not the only one who's stressed!' Before she could stop herself, Shanah barged into Quatre's office and met his glare with one of her own.

"You know what's wrong with you?! You tackle war, world peace, poverty and whatever else I can't think of right now but you can't handle your own problems!!! Just accept it! YOU'RE DYSLEXIC!!! What's so wrong about that?! It's going to come out whether you like it or not!!! SO JUST GROW UP!!!"

Shanah saw fire erupt into an uncontrollable blaze in his eyes but before he could say anything, she quickly walked out of his office and slammed the door as hard as she could then she grabbed her coat and bag and walked out of her office. 

A stream of curses that Quatre had forced himself never to utter came out of his mouth, but his words fell only on his thick wooden door…

He's so angry that he could… he could…

SNAP!

Quatre looked at the pencil in his hands, broken into two, and muttered another set of expletives just as Rashid came into the room.

"Rashid! We're going to the Box." Quatre barked out as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

Rashid stared at Quatre, his jaw about to touch the floor. Quatre was rarely angry, the times that he was… even rarer! So rare that… he's not used to it!!!

"RASHID!"

His angry tone came from the outer office and Rashid's feet quickly scooted his body after Quatre.

One look at the usually placid Master and he knew better than to ask what happened… Whoever said: 'It's the silent ones you should look out for' was so correct. And Quatre had been silent for far too long…

~*~

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

With every ear numbing sound, the Maganacs from behind flinched as they saw each bullet hit the very center of the target. Those who teased Master Quatre about being able to hit nil all hid behind the others who didn't inside their hangout- the Box. 

CLICK!

Another set of bullets flew out in rage from the small semi-automatic R120.

Whoever got their master mad was definitely going down… not only because of his aim, but also because of his loyal servants!

Rashid turned and noticed the men cowering by the sidelines. One significant glance in Quatre's direction then at them and they started scooting out of the range to leave the two alone… Master Quatre's rage plus Rashid's own temper wasn't a good mix…

"You know, Rashid," Quatre inserted a new set of ammunition in the rifle, his glance still zeroed straight at the target. "There was a time in my life when I never understood why Heero loved to let out his rage with guns-"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Rashid sighed. "Master Quatre, what's upset you?"

That seemed to snap him out of his focus as he turned to Rashid with gun in hand. The semi automatic started bobbing up and down as if to accentuate his point while he talked. "And then she called me stupid! Stupid!"

Rashid's eyes followed the gun up and down while sweat started to form on his forehead. "Really, sir? I never thought that Ms. Winter would ever say something like that about you."

Quatre turned away from Rashid as he started to pour some more bullets out of his gun. "Well… she did!"

"Did she say it?" Rashid asked, bartering his life at that moment just to get through to Quatre.

Quatre pouted, his right eye slanted and then he pulled the trigger. "She hinted on it."

Rashid allowed the young man to vent out his frustration some more before he spoke. "Quatre, this is not like you." 

His stern voice penetrated through Quatre's anger-fazed mind… That same stern voice who had been his guide when he was younger… that same stern voice who had taught him to push himself to his best… the same voice who had patiently taught him his lessons when he could not understand… More of a father than his real father had ever been…

No… He was not acting like himself… 

Quatre let out a sigh and dropped the gun on the wood in front of him. "Sorry, Rashid…" He leaned on the wood while he remembered all those nights when he would force himself to study and be the best even if it hurt…

__

'You're dyslexic! What's so wrong about that?!'

Quatre shook his head as long ago insecurities came back to him… 

__

'Idiot.'

'Stupid.'

'No brains.'

Quatre cringed as he remembered those slicing words he was called by children his age… 'You're wrong, Shanah… There is something wrong with that…'

"Excuse me Rashid, I think I need to get some rest."

The hallow voice echoed throughout the deserted hangout and Rashid could only watch as Quatre walked out of the room…

~*~

"Maybe she's not there." 

Rashid glanced at a gloomy looking Quatre. Those were the first words Quatre's uttered since he'd picked the boy up from his house. Well… there's no question which person he meant by 'she'.

Rashid's eyes darted forward, through the restricted zone they were walking too… hmm… "Too bad, Quatre… She's there."

Quatre's head snapped up and for a moment, Rashid saw sadness but it was quickly replaced by anger… Ms. Winter herself is the very statue of stone cold iciness… Rashid saw Shanah flash them a look from a distance but when he and Quatre reached her, she started looking everywhere else except at Quatre's direction… Just like Quatre…

Not only that, but he found himself walking right in the middle of the two! 'Gah! These two are acting like children! Well… it's better that than having them fight each other…'

~*~

4 Hours Later:

'Allah! I can't stand this!!!' Rashid mentally cried out while he squirmed in his seat… Alright, so maybe he did wish that there wouldn't be a fight… but the eerie silence inside the shuttle was slowly killing him!!! Truth be known, he'd give anything for those two to say something!!! But no… They just wanted to stay as far away from each other as possible by sitting on the very first and the other on the very last row of seats.

'Breathe… only 5 more hours to go… Just five more hours, Rashid… Calm… Try to be calm…'

~*~

5 Hours and 30 minutes later:

"Are you sure, Master Quatre?" Rashid asked hesitantly while they walked to the counter.

Quatre nodded curtly. "Go on and visit your cousin, Rashid… I'll take care of it."

'I trust him… I trust him… I trust him not to just leave Shanah in an unknown place. He will help her through the hotel…' Rashid nodded. "I trust you."

Quatre frowned at the unusual response but before he could question Rashid, the older man was out the door.

'Freedom! Those two will be the death of me!!!' 

~*~

Quatre barely gave Shanah a glance while he waited for the clerk to finish his business with the customer in front of them.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, sir… Have you reserved a room?"

"The Terran Council had reserved rooms for both myself and my assistant. Winner and Winter."

The man glanced at his computer, nodded with a smile, grabbed a key card and then passed it on to Quatre. "Suite #34, sire. Enjoy your stay."

Quatre stared at the single key card on the palm of his hand. "Excuse me but there are two names."

The man gave him a confused look and Quatre, not in the mood, glared at him, burning the man's name in his brain. "Ronald, you only gave me one room. I suppose this card is for Mr. Quatre Winner?"

The man nodded as he stared at his computer once again.

Quatre smiled tightly. "Where is _Ms_. Shanah _Winter's_ keycard?"

Shanah bristled at the emphasis Quatre gave on her last name. Is he implying that-

"Shanah Win_ter_, sir?"

"Yes." The word was able to get out through Quatre's gritted teeth.

Utter confusion showed on the man's face. "Sir, there's no reservation for that name. There is one for a Shanah Winner, though."

Shanah started to gag and cough incredulously.

Quatre pressed his lips together. "Fine, they must have misspelled it, give me her keycard." He's starting to lose his patience… Fast…

The man gulped, clearly embarrassed. "Sir, you _are _holding the keycard."

Quatre's eyes slanted, demanding an explanation. "What do you mean?"

"Uhm… the… the room is for both Quatre and Shannah Winner… sir…"

"WHAT?!" Two enraged faces leaned over the counter while they shouted their disbelief.

"I… I suppose…" The man had the decency to blush and tug at his collar, "Someone didn't hear the order correctly and presumed-"

"I AM NOT SLEEPING IN THE SAME ROOM WITH HIM!" Shanah yelled out, unable to stop the words that slipped from her lips while she glared at Quatre. At that moment, she didn't care that he's her employer. 

Quatre gave Shanah a scowl. "Well, I am not sleeping in the same room with you!"

The two glared at each other. Sparks flew until Quatre turned to Ronald once again. "IS there another room?" Quatre's dangerously low voice cut through the man like a very sharp shredder.

"No sir… There are three conferences in the Terra this week… This hotel is booked." He saw the blonde haired man's hands clench into tight fists… 

"Uh, sir, ma'am if I could make a suggestion…" His voice faltered as two blazing pair of eyes raked through him once again. "The… the suite has a connected sitting room. One person can sleep in there, the other in the bedroom… The staff could bring a bed up there."

Quatre knew that it was the only logical thing to do… Especially since he might need to call Shanah for various notes.

Shanah felt a sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach… It was the only way… As the personal assistant, she needed to be able to get to him when he called for her… and there WAS no more available room…

"I don't have to like it, but it's the only way." Shanah complied with the man's suggestion.

Quatre nodded. "As soon as a room is available, notify us."

"Yes sir… as soon as possible sir." Ronald signaled for a courtier to bring the bags to the guests' room and literally breathed out a sigh of relief as soon as the two were out of sight.

~*~

As soon as the courtier closed the door, Quatre and Shannah looked around the room and then faced each other.

"I'll take the sitting room." Quatre said in a voice that left no room for an argument.

"Oh no! I'm the one who's going to get the sitting room." Shanah countered, instantly grabbed her bags and started for the adjoining room. She's not about to let him try to make her feel guilty for taking the soft bed!

"Fine! Take it." Quatre barked out.

"Fine!" Shanah countered before the door slammed behind her.

'1…2…3…4…5…6… Aaaaarrrggghhh!!!' Quatre stomped off to the other door and slammed it behind him. Thank Allah that the meeting wouldn't start until tomorrow morning!!! If he went in there in this state, he'd create a blasted commotion!

~*~

0800 Hours  
The Next Day  
Terran Frontier; Asteroid Belt starting colony 861 

He thought he had his control back in place, but the moment he saw her emerge from the sitting room into the small strip of living room, his anger came out once again. And with that glare she gave him that morning, he knew she felt the same way.

'Where's Rashid? Where's that darn car?' 

Shanah looked away from Quatre to the metal dome above her… She needed to keep her anger in check… 'Dang him…' She saw a white limousine rounding off a corner and muttered a silent prayer of thanks. Maybe if she's around other people, it'd help her ease her anger… or cover it at most!

'Finally! Now where's Ra-' Quatre didn't finish his sentence as he saw Rashid's figure cross the street. He didn't wait for his friend and started to walk towards the now parked limo. "Let's go."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Shanah sarcastically muttered under her breath.

Quatre gave her a look that was meant to shut her up but she just gave him an ultra sweet 'make-me' smile then glanced away and trained her eyes to the street in front of her while Quatre focused his eyes on the white limo.

Shanah frowned as she saw a speeding car… No… three heavily tinted black cars, windows down and… with the overhead lights of the colony making something glint…

"Oh my God! Quatre!" Shanah didn't think as she pushed Quatre down on the sidewalk.

"What the-"

His voice was drowned through the hail of bullets.

'MGR 8 model 3.' Quatre's quick mind registered as he twisted, looped an arm around a closed-eyed Shanah and forced their bodies away from the limo, onto the patch of grass.

The hail of bullets didn't stop, and Quatre could hear a single R-65 not in sync with the beat- 'Rashid…'

Quatre glanced up and saw the whole limo full of holes-

"Shanah don't look!" Quatre quickly covered her body while his hands went to the back of his neck and head.

A loud blast reverberated throughout the street and with it, he could hear faint yells of victory… 

He looked up once again to survey the damage around him and to make sure he could catch a glimpse of the cause. The whole limo was a burning furnace and all around them were bits and pieces of it… shards of glass jutted out of the ground just a reach away from Quatre and Shanah…

The sound of a single oncoming engine caught Quatre's attention. He didn't have long to wait as he saw a motorcycle come into view. 'Damn! If that's a civilian…'

"What's happening?" Shanah's hoarse voice was faint against the sound of the raging inferno…

But Quatre didn't answer, his eyes focusing upon the black figure on the dark blue motorcycle going straight at the three heavily tinted cars…

The deafening sounds of the M8's rattled through the air once again, but this time, the hail of bullets were focused on the individual…

Quatre's eyes widened as he saw the helmeted man bring his hand out of his jacket with three familiar-

"Shanah run!" Quatre instantly pulled Shanah to a stand and started tugging her out of harms way, the knowledge of the area of spread those three explosives could cover-

Quatre suddenly felt the extreme heat from behind him. The force of the blast propelled him forward and then he felt the sudden pain as he landed flat on his chest.

He gasped. His ears were ringing and his whole body felt burnt. He moved his hand, still gripping Shanah's own…

Quatre shook his head, willed himself not to pass out while he tried to get up. "Shanah?" His voice sounded vague and hoarse… He blinked for a couple of seconds to take out the multitude of stars that had invaded his vision and then followed the limp hand from his own.

Fear gripped his chest as he saw her bleeding head and lifeless body sprawled at the base of a tree. "Shanah…" He instantly moved to her, hesitated for only a moment whether or not to move her before he gave up to his mind's clamor and moved her body into his arms. He forgot about everything around him…

His cold hands patted her cheek. "Shanah, come on, open your eyes…" Quatre's breath started to come in rapidly when she didn't move, her skin so pale…

"Shanah, come on! Dammit, wake up!" She had pushed him down and saved his life… why wasn't he able to do the same for her?

"Quatre?" 

Quatre's head jerked up as he heard a muffled voice call his name.

"Master Quatre!!!" Rashid's voice came from his left, but Quatre didn't leave his gaze off the man who rode the motorcycle just a few minutes ago.

"Who are you?" How did you know my name?

The man walked to Quatre and Shanah while he unlocked his helmet, leaned down and reached out for Shanah.

For a moment, Quatre felt the want to punch the man, but even through his fear filled mind, he could feel that he knew this man… that he's a friend… From the corner of his eyes, he saw Rashid reach them and aim his gun at the man.

Quatre instantly gave the signal not to shoot.

The man touched Shanah's throat, and then lightly went down her body. He tilted her gently to her side to check her spine. "She's okay… I don't think she's in a coma, no sign of broken bones, but x-rays just in case… The blast just knocked her unconscious."

Quatre's fear slowly ebbed, and his hand involuntarily tightened its grip upon Shanah. His attention focused on the man who was trying to get the helmet off and finally succeeded.

Quatre's eyes widened. "Heero?!"

Heero nodded as he swept his hand through his ruffled hair. "Sorry about the trouble. Clean up crew will be down here in a few minutes."

"What the hell is going on here?!" Rashid blurted out, angry that his Master nearly got killed.

Heero turned to Rashid and nodded his greeting. "Small band of rebels used to be called Jargon. Had enough armament and ammo to blast this whole Terra from the inside."

"Used?" Quatre asked just to be sure.

Heero nodded and motioned to the burning cars. "They're the last." He glanced at Quatre and saw the question. "I tried to talk to them but they ignored the Preventer's warnings and still went through with what they planned."

Quatre nodded and turned his gaze to the burning limo. "Who was their target?"

At that question, Heero's gaze darkened with anger. "Relena."

Quatre blinked. "Relena? But she's not even here!" He saw Heero frown for a second before giving him a look. 

"Didn't you read Une's memo for you?"

"What me-" Quatre stopped. He remembered a time when Rashid told him that Lady Une had sent him a letter… He could remember saying that he'll read it later but… later became never…

"I can see that you didn't." Heero turned away. "Relena's shuttle is to port in an hour."

"But…" Something's not right. "Even a small band of rebels wouldn't just waste M8 bullets on a limousine…"

"Let's just say that Relena's flight got delayed…"

Quatre's eyebrow shot up. That could only mean… "You didn't…"

~*~

One Hour and 15 Minutes Away from Terran Frontier:

"HOW MUCH LONGER?!" 

The mech cringed at the barked question and turned to look at the red faced Chinese man in charge of Miss Relena Peacecraft.

"Just about 15 more minutes, sir."

"HURRY UP!!!"

"Wufei, please calm down." Relena's voice washed over the two men like cold water.

Wufei glanced up and glared at her but Relena didn't flinch… She's used to those glares anyway. 

"He's trying his best. An hour delay isn't that bad."

A stream of Chinese curses flowed out of Wufei's lips as he stomped out of the engine room and into the main passage.

Relena gave an apologetic smile to the man, her clear blue green eyes showed the same message. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright, Ms. Peacecraft. We'll get you to TF."

"Of course." Relena replied before she walked out of the room to face a scowling Wufei.

"What's wrong? Why are you so nervous?" Relena leaned toward Wufei… She knew for a fact that he'd probably not tell her anything, but it didn't hurt to try to talk to him.

"Nothing." Wufei growled out before turning away from Relena. 'If Yuy ever finds out about this… But I checked the whole shuttle before it left!!! Damn!!!'

Relena gave a shrug then relaxed back in her seat. One of them needed to keep a cool head about everything anyway.

~*~

Back on Terran Grounds:

Quatre stopped shaking his head. "No… knowing you, you did."

Heero just shrugged. "Don't worry about Une, I'll give my report. As for the letter, it was asking you to help Wufei with Relena." He started walking away.

"Heero?"

He stopped, his back still facing Quatre.

"Do you want me to say 'Hi' to Relena for you?" Quatre felt a moment's indecision from him before he walked away.

"No."

Quatre bit his lower lip… He could feel that though Heero had said 'No' he had meant 'Yes' … so… 

The sound of the motorcycle revving up and then zooming off made Quatre shrug. He looked down at the woman in his arms and instantly scooped her in an embrace.

"Call the doctors. Room #34 and tell the Council that I will not be attending today's meeting. Send the Agenda and Minutes to my suite ASAP."

"Yes, Master Quatre."

Quatre stopped and turned around. "And Rashid…"

Rashid nodded as he waited for whatever else Quatre wanted to say.

Quatre smiled softly… sincerely. "Thank you."

Rashid grinned… He knew what Quatre had meant… He watched as Quatre walked up the stairs, through the gaping crowd of workers and hurried on along with his duties…

AN: I'm sure some of you weren't expecting what happened *points up* If so... GREAT! ^_~ Thanks for all who've written me a review! I couldn't email eveyone because your emails were private, or no links, but I wanted to say thanks! 


	4. Reflections of Beauty 4

Reflections of Beauty

** Reflections of Beauty   
By Obsolete Love   
Chapter 4**

Shanah felt a throbbing pain at the base of her spine and her head that almost seemed in rhythm with the beating of her heart…

'What… happened…?' Her heavy eyes slowly opened and for a moment, everything was gray and dim… She blinked a few more times and color came back to her vision… with it, memories.

Her eyes widened and fear gripped her with its cold hands. 'Quatre!'

She tried to sit up but found her back aching so much that she couldn't move… except very slowly… She turned to her side and her gaze fell on expensive Earth Sphere leather shoes… Her eyes traveled upwards and saw Quatre slumped on a chair, his once immaculate black suit now covered with dust, his hair was rumpled and some small cuts on his face had clots of blood upon it… But even with those cuts, he's the handsomest man she'd ever laid eyes on and she's just happy that he's alive…

God! She didn't want to feel that way ever again! Fear that she'd die… fear that Quatre would die… Thank God that he's alright!

As if he knew that she's awake, Quatre's eyes opened… Not for the first time, he saw how her hair framed her face… He was the one who had uncoiled her hair earlier for the doctors to check her, but during that time, it had seemed lifeless… Now, with her eyes open, it looked very much alive- lush brown in flowing waves with highlights of amber that complimented her beautiful eyes… Awake… Very much awake…

The look of relief, then of concern, that he gave her was forever etched in her heart and she could only stare into his eyes… 

Quatre couldn't stop himself as he moved to her, gently sat at the edge of her bed and reached out to hold the hand nearest to him. "Are you alright?"

Shanah's heart rate jumped and she felt a shiver go up her spine because of his piercing gaze coupled with his gentle touch. "I… think so. My back is a little sore… I have no idea why…"

Quatre's eyes darkened as he remembered. "You hit the tree pretty hard… I think that's why."

Shanah nodded then suddenly felt the weird weight on her head. Slowly, her other hand went up to touch it. "I… why do I have this?"

Quatre grimaced. "A slight head injury according to the doctors…"

Her eyes went back to his face just to check him. "What about you? Are you okay? You have so many small wounds…"

"I'm fine. I was more afraid about you…" Quatre couldn't stop staring at her… He thought… He thought he'd never see her eyes open ever again… Maybe it was panic and fear that grappled his mind and numbed him to incoherent thoughts but the notion that he would never…

Shanah felt Quatre squeeze her hand lightly and saw an indecipherable emotion in his eyes. "Quatre?"

He couldn't stop himself… He just couldn't… He wanted to be sure that she wasn't hurt… that she was really here with him… He bent toward her…

Shanah's eyes fluttered close as she tilted her face upwards and met his lips with hers…

He kissed her gently, almost as if she was made of fragile glass that would break at his slightest touch… but that gentle kiss spoke of so many things… 

She felt care and concern while he felt trust and something more…

Quatre broke the kiss, moving only a few inches away from her face. "I was so worried… I thought…"

"I was worried about you, too…" Shanah whispered, still a little dazed… Was she dreaming? Had he really just kissed her…

He looked as if he was about to say something more, but the sound of the doorknob turning made him draw away from her, though he kept a firm hold on her hand…

Rashid came inside with a stack of papers. "The Council understands… I made sure of that." A look of concern washed over Rashid as he looked at Shanah. "Are you alright? Blasted rebels… I'm happy Heero took them all out."

Shanah gave a tentative smile at Rashid, still aware of Quatre's hold on her hand. "Yes, thank you Rashid."

Rashid shook his head while he walked to the other side of the bed then took hold of Shanah's free hand. "No, Ms. Winter, I should be thanking you. I am forever in your debt for saving Master Quatre's life." Rashid bowed and gave Shanah a kiss on her knuckles.

Quatre saw her eyes bulge at the action before she turned her shocked face to him. He only smiled and nodded.

"I- You're welcome… Rashid." Shanah faltered out… She had this distinct feeling that Rashid would feel offended if she said something other than that. She glanced at Quatre and saw him nod his head once again.

Rashid gave one last look at Shanah then faced Quatre. "The Council decided to have their next meeting two days later."

"Oh! The meeting! What time is it!?" Shanah cried out as she tried to move from her bed and instantly grimaced as pain shot up her back.

Quatre was immediately beside her and gently pushed her back down on the pillows. "The meeting went on, but we didn't go."

Shanah bit her lip and looked down at her blankets. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault. We were delayed, that's all. Besides, the general secretary was there and she just gave us the copy of the minutes." Quatre started to tuck her in once again.

Rashid walked to the door. "I am going to check up on Ms. Relena and tell her what happened."

"Ms. Relena?" Shanah asked softly and tried to put a face to the name, a feeling of jealousy ran through her. But Quatre didn't hear her as he faced Rashid. 

"Please tell her that I'm extremely sorry for not being there to greet her arrival."

Rashid nodded. "Yes, Master Quatre."

The two watched as the door closed, then Quatre's gaze fell back on Shanah. He could feel worry and… remorse? … and something he couldn't be sure of… but those first two emotions he could be quite sure for the cause…

"Shanah, I do not regret kissing you."

Shanah's gaze instantly went to Quatre… She remembered the kiss and shyly looked down. Her eyes fell on his hand, once again holding hers. She felt a gentle squeeze from him and she bit her lower lip…

'He didn't regret kissing a plain girl like me?'

"Do you?"

His question surprised her and what surprised her more was when she shook her head and said- "No…"

"Then, why are you shutting me out?" Quatre prodded. He could already feel those protective icicles clumping around her. He didn't want that to happen again…

"It's… it wasn't right that we…" Shanah didn't want to say 'kiss' out loud.

"Kissed? Why?" It seemed as if his patience came back to him while he impelled Shanah to answer him.

She bit her lower lip. "Business etiquette-"

"No… forget about business etiquette."

Shanah looked up at the sudden harshness in his words… His eyes met hers once again and she couldn't look away… trapped…

"Do you feel that what we did was wrong?" Quatre felt the answer before she said it. It made his heart feel lighter.

"I…No…" The truth came out even if she had wanted to say a lie… she couldn't lie…

"I didn't feel that what we did was wrong, either." Quatre said gently, trying to make her see a point that he himself wasn't so sure of…

He watched Shanah's eyes squint into his, trying to read what it was he's telling her, then slowly he saw a soft smile light her face.

"Quatre, I am still your Personal Assistant… how should we act?"

Quatre grinned. "We'll act as we should in public if that is what you want… but I will act in accordance to what I feel when we're alone."

Shanah's soft smile turned into a grin. "That is a good plan."

Quatre gently brought the hand he was holding up to his lips and kissed it. Shanah felt another shiver go up her spine… 

"You need to go back to sleep… I should leave you right now… even if I don't want to." Quatre let out a sigh of frustration then stood up and loosened his hold on her.

Shanah didn't let go of his hand, tugging him gently to face her. She needed to say something… something she thought she would never have the chance to say when she heard those gunshots…

Quatre met her serious look and inquiringly frowned.

"Quatre, before you go… I want to say I'm sorry… Sorry for all those things I said to you… It was out of line…"

Quatre shook his head… He didn't care about what she had said before… all he cared about was that she's alive… talking to him… "Shanah-"

"Quatre, let me finish please?" The soft request instantly stopped the words that had wanted to come out of him.

Shanah smiled waveringly. "I…" she gulped and tightened her hold on Quatre's hand. She felt his strength. "I want you to know that you're the kindest, smartest, and most deserving man I know."

He could feel that she wasn't telling him a lie with those compliments… that though she didn't want to say it, she's still saying it. It warmed his heart and drove his insecurities away. Truth… She had seen it and made him face it again. "What you said is true though… I am dyslexic."

"And I know that, but so what?" 

He saw passion in her eyes… passion that showed she would fight. 

"That doesn't mean that you can't make a smart decision… besides, it only comes out when you're stressed… so… I want to help."

That shook Quatre a bit as he stared at Shanah in confusion. "Pardon?"

Shanah showed her sincerity through her eyes. "I want to help, Quatre… Two heads are better than one… You can easily finish your papers due in review if I help… I…" A moments indecision fluttered over her face. "I could read the proposals to you when you're too tired…"

Her suggestion fluttered like fire to a wind… 

A feeling of helplessness in his situation coursed through Quatre at first then, he remembered what she had said… and truth be told… he did need help… that she would offer her time to be with him… And never in her tone did she hint on thinking him an idiot… 

Quatre smiled softly as he leaned down and kissed her bandaged head lightly. "I suppose that would mean we'll be working late together."

Shanah didn't breathe and just nodded. She didn't want to break the spell that seemed to have woven itself around them, that made them act like two average people…

"Rashid and I will bringing dinner in, later. I'll eat with you." Quatre finally said, willing himself to let go of her hand and to walk away. He opened his door, stopped and then turned around to just get a look at her once again… the most beautiful face to him… "Sleep peacefully with cherished dreams, until I come back, Shanah…" 

His whispered words fell like a warm blanket over her and she watched as he closed the door… 'We were not acting professionally at all…'

Shanah closed her eyes and smiled softly… 'But this is better… he kissed plain Shanah… not Felicia…'

~*~

Shanah wrung her hands nervously while Quatre stood by the window of the small living room suite. 

He could feel the waves of nervousness from her and he finally gave up, walked to her and held her hands to stop them. He smiled encouragingly. "Shanah, don't worry… It's just the Vice Foreign Minister…"

"Exactly. Oh God… I look too stupid to be your secretary… I have this big old bandage on my head and my hair is a mess. I can't put it up and… I'm a nervous wreck!!!" She's going to meet Ms. Relena Dorlian, for goodness' sake!!! How should one act in front of royalty, power and fame?!

Quatre laughed softy as he touched her long hair, some soft tendrils fell over her shoulders… "Your hair looks lovely… I think I rather like it down," he saw her eyes widen and felt the start of negative thoughts. He quickly spoke before she could. "But if you don't, then that's fine with me too… As for Relena. She will never think that you're stupid… And about your bandaged head, once I say one name, I'm sure she'll understand."

Shanah skeptically looked at Quatre then sighed… He's probably right… A tremulous smile lighted her face as she tried to lighten the mood. "Just one name, huh? That person must have quite a reputation."

Quatre rolled his eyes. "You don't know the half of it." 

Shanah grinned. "That bad?"

Before Quatre could answer, they heard the door click open and the two unwillingly separated.

Shanah saw, for the first time, Ms. Relena Peacecraft, in person walk into the room in the calmest mood and a grace equivalent to a queen while shots of cameras snapped in the background… Then, a Chinese looking man slammed the door shut behind them and turned his scowling face at them… She instantly felt the need to hide behind Quatre but she didn't.

And then she saw the change. The moment the door was closed, Shanah saw the calm, placid face of the woman who had accomplished so much, turn into a wide smile that Shanah had never seen in her usual speeches.

"Quatre!" she walked to him just as Quatre walked to her.

"Relena! I see that they're still following you around." Quatre reached out to give Relena a hug that she accepted gratefully.

"As if some don't come after you at all, dear friend."

Shanah's wide eyes tried to comprehend what's happening in front of her.

"P5 this is PG1, GET THOSE REPORTERS OFF OUR TAIL!!!"

The shout jarred Shanah as the man shouted to his collar, nodded then faced Quatre and Relena who had disengaged in their embrace.

Relena's eyes traveled to Shanah and she instantly felt like kicking herself for choosing such dowdy attire…

"Hello."

"G-good morning, Ms. Peacecraft." She's stuttering!!!

Quatre turned to face her and grinned as he gently pushed Relena forward. "Relena, this is my personal assistant, Shanah."

Shanah reached out for a handshake and her cold, nervous hands was instantly covered by comforting warm ones.

"Laddi retired?" Relena asked inquiringly.

Quatre nodded.

"I didn't know…" Relena and Shanah let go of each other. "I could have given her something."

"It's alright, Relena… She knows that you care." Quatre patted her shoulders.

Relena nodded sadly. "Still… I mean, I know how she is… She's almost like Pagan…"

Quatre's cheerful face turned sad. "Relena, just think that Pagan's in a wonderful place now."

Shanah saw Relena smile and nod slightly then to her surprise, Relena faced her.

"Shanah, as usual Quatre didn't tell me his PA's last name, so I couldn't ask for your permission to use your first name."

Quatre grinned mischievously.

"Uhm… that's alright." Shanah whispered out.

"Please call me Relena." Relena gave her friendliest smile to the woman and Shanah instantly felt her nervousness evaporate into nothing.

"Thank you, Relena."

"P5, THOSE BAKAS ARE STILL OUT THERE! PULL THEM OUT OR I'LL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE WAY IS CLEAR!"

Shanah's eyes bulged at the outcry. Relena's face was a cross between a grimace and a smile while Quatre's body rocked with laughter.

Walking to Wufei, Quatre patted his back. "Wufei, how I missed your yells."

Wufei only snorted while the blonde Arabian led him to a seat, leaving Shanah to offer Relena one.

"What happened to your head? I mean, if you don't mind me asking." Relena asked as she sat down and Shanah took the seat in front of her.

Shanah grinned. "Well, Quatre said that he'll only say one name and you'll understand."

The women's gaze fell on Quatre who just smiled and shrugged. "Heero."

From the corner of her eyes, Shanah saw Relena give a start at the name… saw Relena willing herself not to react too much and then tilt her head as if the name did mean something but not much. 

"Oh."

"YUY WAS HERE?! I KNEW IT!!!"

Quatre smiled knowingly… He observed Relena's every action and saw what he wanted to see... He gave Wufei a silencing look and Relena's bodyguard turned to face the window, grumbling while Quatre sat beside Relena.

"He wanted me to tell you 'Hi'."

Shanah saw a pained look cross over Relena's face.

"Nice try, Quatre… But Heero would never say that, even if you had seen him… He's not the kind of person who would leave a message."

Quatre reached out and touched her shoulder. He could see the painful sadness in her eyes… 'Heero… you better show up soon or I'll be the one who'll hunt you down.'

"Relena, he may not have said it… but I felt his _want_ to say it."

Relena smiled softly as she patted Quatre's hand. "Thanks."

Something snared at Shanah's mind and she finally understood… Relena's like every other girl… except for the burden of responsibilities on her shoulders… but she's like every other girl who loves and longs to be loved… and for that matter, Shanah felt her heart go to her.

Quatre suddenly looked at Wufei and his eyes sparkled with mischief. 'Maybe we should start another poll in the Box…'

"By the way Wufei, Duo wants to give you a message."

At the name, Wufei turned around and glared at him. "Now what does that braided baka want?"

"Lydia."

For a moment, just for a second, Quatre saw Wufei's shock then anger. Quatre didn't even give him a chance to talk, expecting a full-all out bellow. He almost couldn't control his grin!

Relena, on the other hand, looked away from the two men and Shanah saw an amused smile on her lips.

"Duo wants to talk to Lydia, but he couldn't get a hold of her. So he thought that maybe you could give her a message. Her order is ready to be picked up."

Wufei snorted then turned away from Quatre.

Quatre just smiled then faced the two women in the room. "I only have this day open, and I'm sure it's the same for you, Relena… So how about we have a little fun?"

Relena grinned while Wufei turned around in a frantic frenzy.

"WHAT?! And what am I going to do with those reporters out there?!"

Quatre shrugged and gave Shanah a nod… a signal. She knew the plan.

"Don't worry… er… Wufei. Rashid has a few family members around and he'll make sure that everything will be fine."

"My thanks to Rashid!" Relena enthusiastically said and quickly stood up. She walked to Shanah. "I'm so happy to finally be able to have a little female contact, right now. I usually have to deal with…" She gave a look towards Wufei and Shanah laughed.

Quatre grinned. "Hey, I'm a man, too, you know."

"You're different." The two women said as they smiled at him.

"I hope that's good." Quatre retorted in mock hurt.

~*~

2300 Hours

"Is that all?" Shanah asked, her hands poised over her laptop's keyboard.

"I think that's it. What do you think?" Quatre asked as he went behind Shanah and leaned over her shoulder to watch her face.

Shanah smiled and breathed in his faint cologne… She knew she shouldn't have, but she did… She turned to face him. "I think it's perfect. Now… don't you think it was easier this way?"

Quatre nodded as he stared into her eyes. Then he grinned. "Faster and… nicer…" He leaned to her, took away those mere inches of distance between their lips… He loved the feel of her soft, lush lips, pliant against his firm ones…

He heard that soft intake of breath as they parted for only a few seconds and kissed once again, opening under his lips… God! He knew she'd be as delicious as this when he first saw her… Why he didn't kiss her before, blame it on his sense of gent.

His hand slowly went to her head, his fingers going through her hair and cupping her-

Pain burst through her and Shanah gasped. "Ouch!"

Reality sunk back in Quatre and he quickly took away his hand, concern instantly on his face. "I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

Shanah nodded through her pounding head… because of her wound? Or is it because of Quatre? Somehow she's thankful that her wound broke the kiss, but half of her was a bit angry.

"I'm so sorry… I… forgot…"

Shanah looked up and saw such misgivings on Quatre's face, so much like a little boy, so sad, that she couldn't help herself as she leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips, just to ease away that look.

"I forgot too… I guess that makes two of us." She stood up and Quatre nodded, a smile back on his face.

"Guess its time to say good night." He walked Shanah to the sitting room. "Are your things ready for the flight back?"

Shanah nodded, a slight dread came over her… What if everything changes when they leave and go back to their real world?

As if he read her thoughts, Quatre reached out to hold her hand, and brought it up to his lips while he stared at her with those drowning aquamarine eyes of his.

"Don't worry about it…" he whispered before then opening Shanah's door, though for the life of him, he didn't know why he's letting her go since he just wanted to stare into her eyes all night! In a way, he's thankful that there hadn't been any available room at all!

Shanah smiled. "I won't… Good night Quatre."

He watched her softly close the door behind her… Shanah leaned against the door with a smile then walked to her bed while Quatre forced his feet to walk to the other direction…

'This had been one most interesting week…' Quatre thought, closing his own door behind him… 'Then again… it was the nicest also…' he grinned as he walked to his bathroom. 

Mornings, it's hers… Nights, it's his… But right now… all he could smell was her lavender scent… faint from that morning shower… 'Allah… I wonder how…' Quatre stopped himself as his eyes grew wide, images formed in his mind- images of Shanah under the water's spray-

Flustered, Quatre tripped and bumped his head against the wall. Pain sliced through his head and made him forget what he was just thinking of… all for the better…


	5. Reflections of Beauty 5

****

Reflections of Beauty  
By Obsolete Love  
Chapter 5

Shanah hummed softly while she rearranged the papers she'd just finished typing then dropped them in their respective folders and categories. He was right… there was nothing to get worried about… Nothing had changed… Everything was great! A quick kiss in the coffee room… or a long lingering one in his office… a meaningful touch… 

It was wonderful!

Only one thing changed… 

Shanah blushed… Their kisses have become more passionate… Especially after her bandages were finally removed… To feel Quatre's hand at the back of her head… cradling her… meshing his lips with hers…

Her blush turned a shade deeper. 

Well… one thing's for certain… he's not that stressed anymore… They do work until past midnight sometimes, but it was all well worth it… 

Shanah knocked on Quatre's door, the files secure in her arm, then opened it. Her eyes fell upon his smiling face and once again her pulse heightened. His smile always made her heart beat faster…

"I brought these back." She walked to his side and offered the stack.

"Finished already?" Quatre asked as he reached out and deliberately touched his fingers against her skin. He saw her tremble just as he felt his own body react… 

"Yes. It was easy. Knowing what to type before looking at the page helped a lot."

Quatre nodded… Her opinion matters to him- a lot… She pointed out details he almost missed and her views had been clear and fresh… Working late had never been so wonderful!

"Shanah, the Katel-Ward papers needs running over. Would it be alright if you stay tonight to help me?"

Shanah nodded. 'I'll stay all night if you need me to…' but instead she just grinned. "Sure. I'll be waiting with the papers when you get back from your 6 o'clock." She started to walk to the door-

"Shanah, don't forget to eat dinner. The meeting might last until 9."

She nodded. "I won't… Don't worry, I'll be here…" She closed the door.

Quatre smiled… He knew that she would be… She's the kindest, one of the most dedicated people he knew with the most delectable lips and clear emerald eyes and…

'Gah! Quatre! Get back to work…' He quickly righted himself on the chair, faced his papers and forced his mind not to wallow in those beautiful thoughts just yet.

~*~

Shanah brought in the fifth mug of hot cocoa into the room, when she saw that frown on his face while he stared at the paper in front of him… She didn't need any prompting as she quickly grabbed the paper the moment she set the tray down on his table. "I'll do the reading, thank you."

Quatre glanced up at her and saw concern in her eyes. He smiled. "Thanks… they were jumping around again…"

Shanah reached out and held Quatre's hand with her own. "You're already tired. It's no wonder. Remember, I told you I'll do the reading when it starts happening, and it seems like its starting… just listen, alright?"

Quatre grinned. "I always do." Hard, but he did try… He watched her as she sat at the edge of his desk- right in front of him- and started to read the proposal. Her soft voice was like a soothing lullaby to his ears… His hand turned in her hold to entwine his fingers with hers and to be able to rub her delicate skin.

For a moment, Shanah stopped. Her awareness to Quatre heightened… But she forced herself to continue and ignore that familiar fluttering in her stomach…

He watched her lips, only half-listening to what she was saying… He couldn't stop himself and tugged at her hand, stopping her.

She looked at him and saw his soft smile. Then, she felt that gentle tug once again… She looked at him in confusion but his message showed through his clear eyes… She should have said no… but she didn't and complied with the unspoken request, giving up to temptation. She walked to him, turned then sat on his lap for the first time… Oh heaven as his arms went around her waist, tucked her in a secure embrace and then tilted her frame against his chest.

There was a catch in her voice when she tried to start. Once again, but she seemed to have trouble concentrating…

He stared at her long neck… the span of creamy white skin in front of him… no hair hindered his approach… He couldn't resist as his lips touched it, brushed soft kisses along its expanse, and instantly felt a burning coil inside him…

Shanah gasped as she tilted her head, allowing him greater access… Pleasurable shivers went up and down her body while the paper fell down from her hands to the floor… already forgotten. She swallowed… "Quatre…"

"Yes Shannah?" The heat of his breath against the base of her neck when he said her name added to the multitude of sensations she was feeling and she gave up trying to control herself as she turned her head to his.

Quatre's lips instantly went on top of hers, his hand replaced where his lips had been before, caressing… inciting…

Their lips meshed and drowned each other as they suckled in their sweet taste and Quatre's free hand guided her pliant body to a better position. He straddled her legs on his lap without breaking their passionate kiss… 

Her hands seemed to have a life of their own as they traveled to Quatre's chin and felt the start of stubble against her palms, then added more excitement as her hands went down to his shoulder… down to his chest… She wants to feel him… so much… The feel of Quatre's hand going up and down her back while the other moved over her leg… frenzy! 

She felt his hands move to her shoulders and then down her collar to the first button of her blouse and her body seemed mirrored to him as she did the same thing… She took out his tie and threw it somewhere, unbuttoning his shirt while he undid her blouse…

She was halfway down when she couldn't stop herself and inserted her hands into his shirt, touching the expanse of his slightly muscled chest while he gave up unbuttoning her blouse and cupped her breast.

They moved in closer to each other and- 'Oh my!' It was the only thing she could think of as she felt his crotch against her own center… Another wave of excitement flooded her that completely washed reason away.

"God Shanah…." Quatre muttered against her lips and did not lose contact as he created a trail of kisses down her throat… to her breast…

"Yes… Quatre…?" Shanah whispered back, her mind dazed with passion… She could feel herself becoming wet… she could feel Quatre's tongue lolling upon her nipple… Everything is pure heaven!

CLICK!

The unbidden sound kicked them back to reality… Their shocked, wide eyes met each other with Quatre's lips still against her breast while her hands were around his upper torso…

TSHIIICK!

Quatre stared at Shanah who stared back at him… They were frozen in place…

CREEEAAKKKK…

Both knew there wasn't any time… In a flash, Shanah scrambled off Quatre's lap, and went to the only place she could hide- under his desk- while Quatre stood up and tried to arrange his shirt. His breathing was haggard with passion and shock and he only had control over half his brain!

Rashid walked inside and saw a nervous, breathing as if he just ran a mile, shirt rumpled, hair tousled, dazed eyed… Quatre?

Quatre's blood ran cold while under the desk, Shanah stifled a gasp when she recognized Rashid's shoes… Then her gaze fell upon Quatre's tie… Right in the middle of the room… 'Oh God!'

"Quatre, what happened to you? Why is your shirt open?" It was the only way that Rashid could phrase his real question - why do you look rumpled?

"Uhm… it's… hot…Rashid… very hot." Quatre stuttered out.

A blast of cold air from the air conditioner drifted in the room and Quatre involuntarily shivered. 'Oh Damn!'

Rashid's eyes slanted as he noted Quatre's shudder… Something's amiss… and IF it's so hot… why did he shiver? He looked down and saw Quatre's tie on the floor… 

Quatre saw Rashid starting to bend and leaned over his table only to see his tie! Memories started to crash in his mind and at the same time- the fact that Shanah might be discovered!

"No!"

Rashid stopped and looked up. 

Quatre gulped. "No… Rashid, I'll do that… why are you here?"

"I forgot my e-book." Rashid answered as he walked to his small desk and took the electronic gadget.

"Okay, well… I have a lot of work to do…" Quatre blurted out the fragment sentences and instantly felt the want to kick himself… 'Shut up, Winner!'

Rashid nodded… He knows what that means… Leave… "Yes, Master Quatre… Good night."

Quatre held his breath as he watched Rashid leave and close the door behind him… Then his legs finally gave up on him and he fell into his chair while he looked at the opening of his desk.

Shanah was busy buttoning up her blouse in a half sitting, half laying position… She looked up and their eyes met… Nobody spoke… and then, the ridiculousness of the situation entered their numb shocked minds and at the same time, their lips turned into wide grins and laughter erupted in the room.

Slowly, still laughing, Shanah crawled out from under the desk and straightened her clothes.

The whole thing might be funny… but there was something that tugged at Shanah's heart and the moment they both stopped laughing, Shanah decided to tell him.

"Quatre, this isn't like me, you know…."

Quatre nodded as he stood up from his chair and walked to her, stopped a good distance away from her tempting body and just reached for her hand.

"I know… you don't have to tell me. This isn't like me either, you know…"

Their serious eyes met with no challenge, open to each other.

"Shanah, I… really feel something special for you… Please… I mean… I hope what happened doesn't change-"

Shanah saw how hard it was for Quatre to say what was in his mind… the same things she herself would like to utter… and if she couldn't reveal it, she didn't expect him to, either. So, she placed a stopping hand on his lips. "I feel something special for you too… And I hope so too…"

Their eyes showed their understanding and bonded them for what soon may come…

Shanah grinned and took her hand off his lips. "I don't think we'll be able to do any more work tonight…"

Quatre shook his head with a smile on his face. "You're right…"

A twinkle appeared in her emerald eyes. "Maybe we should cut back our hot cocoas."

Quatre laughed. "Maybe…"

Silence… Comfortable silence.

"May I take you home, Shanah?"

Shanah shook her head. They have to be reasonable. "Thank you, but no… not tonight anyway. Maybe some other time."

Quatre nodded. The reason and logic behind her answer obvious… She's right anyway. "See you tomorrow then?"

Shanah nodded. "Yes, see you tomorrow."

Quatre leaned down, turned her hand and leaned down to kiss her wrist… He felt her shudder, as he did himself. Gently, he let go. "Until tomorrow then."

Shanah nodded, not able to talk anymore. She turned and walked away as calmly as she could. The she stopped as she opened the door. "Quatre?"

Quatre looked up from his the papers and saw how the small tendrils of her brown hair framed her face that added an aura of softness around her… "Yes, Shanah?"

"Please go home and rest."

The request made Quatre smile and nod. "I will. Just cleaning up."

"Alright…" With one last smile as her good bye, she closed the door and walked out of the office with a light heart…

Quatre stared at his closed door. A smile stayed on his face while he finished his work…


	6. Reflections of Beauty 6

****

Reflections of Beauty  
By Obsolete Love  
Chapter 6

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Quatre nearly became a human fountain at the announcement! Instead, he swallowed tea he was drinking, rather too quickly, and went into a coughing frenzy…

Duo's grin widened as he stared at Quatre from the other side of the monitor. "Surprised? I said- HILDE AND I ARE GONNA GET MARRIED!!! You got that alright?"

Quatre's shocked face slowly turned into a smile while he stood up and practically hugged the vid-phone. "Congratulations!!! Where's the happy soon to be bride?"

Hilde appeared behind Duo, wrapping her hands around his shoulders. Quatre could feel the love radiating from the two through the plastic screen.

"Right here, Quatre. Just a minute, okay?" Hilde said before the monitor turned black.

Quatre heard the sound of something fall right after someone gasped in surprise… He didn't have to be a scholar to know what's going on. Quatre's grin reached ear to ear as the monitor came back on line and Duo's dazed, foolishly grinning face-full-of-lipstick appeared while Hilde impishly smiled on top of Duo's lap, her arms still around her soon-to-be husband. 

"Sorry about that, Quatre… he hasn't given me his morning kiss yet."

Quatre laughed. "I bet! Congratulations, Hilde. I mean, to both of you. Finally!"

At that comment, Duo jerked. "Finally?! Finally?!"

Hilde nodded. "I know! Finally!"

"HEEEEE-"

Duo's 'hey' was cut off by Hilde's lips, this time she did not bother to blotch out the screen.

Quatre's smile couldn't get any wider… Polls for the two are done- and he's got the tape to prove it!

"Sorry again, Quatre… I love kissing Duo and it's the only way to shut him up."

Duo's dazed face dropped on Hilde's shoulder. "Man oh man! And I luuuv her way. Even if it's torture."

Hilde laughed, getting the inside joke while Quatre just let it pass him, not really understanding it.

"So, when's the wedding?" Quatre asked while he got his planner to erase any set meeting on that date. He had been waiting a long time for this!

"We decided for it to be four months later… or is it five? We want to get a hold of everyone first." Duo said from Hilde's shoulder.

Quatre frowned. "Get a hold of everyone?"

"You know, Heero, Trowa, and Wufei." Duo started.

"That's where you come in." Hilde finished.

Quatre frowned. "Okay… wait… I'm confused."

Duo grinned. "My man Heero helped us get together-"

"So we're planning to help him this time 'round." Hilde finished once again.

At that revelation, Quatre's jaw dropped to his desk. "Heero helped the two of you to get together?!"

Hilde nodded. "Yeah… So sweet of him."

"Sweet?" Quatre asked once again, incredulously. To himself, he asked- 'What happened?!'

"We'll give you the details later, Q-man… but right now, do you know how I can get a hold of T-man?"

Quatre fumbled with his drawer and took out the latest postcard from Trowa. "Yeah… have it right here." He read the address from the postcard while Hilde wrote it down.

"I want it to be something like a get-together for us five, too… that's why. And Trowa is also one of my friends." Duo explained. 

"Duo wants you four to be his best men." Hilde said as she let go of the pencil.

Quatre grinned. "Thanks, Duo. I'll write to Trowa also."

"Okay… So, I've got a bridesmaid for Trowa… for Heero and for Wufei… what about you?" Hilde inquired.

Quatre glanced at his door and knew whom he wanted. "Her name is Shanah. I'm sure you'll like her."

Hilde grinned. "I'm sure we will."

"Whoa, Quatre! You dating some girl we and the media don't know about?" Duo asked in disbelief. At that moment, Shanah walked inside and Hilde and Duo's eyes instantly went to her.

"Quatre, are you finished with your tea? I brought in some cakes and another hot mug if you want."

Quatre grinned. "Thanks. You're going to get some of those cakes too, ok? Even if I have to baby feed you."

Hilde smiled while Duo's eyebrows shot up.

Shanah laughed. "Will do. I'll just get some spoons.

"No, wait, Shanah… I want you to meet some of my friends." Quatre quickly called out as he motioned Shanah to his side.

Shanah complied and saw a smiling couple on the vid-phone. 

"Duo and Hilde, meet Shanah."

"Hi!" Hilde greeted with a wave.

Shanah grinned and waved back. "Hello."

Duo's eyes blinked as he took in the thick glassed, schoolmarm look of the girl Quatre's crazy about… 'I mean… baby feeding?! Wait… that might be a good idea with Hilde…'

"They're going to be married." Quatre explained while his hands entwined themselves with Shanah's.

Hilde's eyes twinkled some more. She could see something between the two. "Shanah, we were trying to pick a bridesmaid to pair with Quatre… He suggested you… would you like to do it?"

Shanah's eyes widened as she looked from Quatre to the monitor… 

"Please say yes. They're some of my best friends and I'd like you to meet them." Quatre pleaded, his eyes showed how much he wanted her to say that 'yes'… and… she couldn't say no…

"Uhm… sure… I mean," she looked at Hilde and Duo, " I hope you won't mind… we just met after all, but… if you'll have me as one of your bridesmaid, then… who am I to argue?" Shanah ended with a tentative smile.

"Oh don't worry, Shanah… I'll be calling you a lot. I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Hilde answered, elbowing her soon-to-be husband.

"Same here! Any friend of Q-man's is a friend of ours."

Shanah laughed at the couple's antics while Quatre tightened his hold on her hand.

"So, Quatre… another favor… Could you contact Relena and ask her to be one of my bridesmaids?" Hilde asked hesitantly… Not that she's close to the Vice Foreign Minister… but Duo did say that she's nice. Besides, it's for Heero's sake.

Quatre grinned. "For Heero's partner, right?"

Shanah's eyebrow raised a bit… Ah… the elusive Heero…

Hilde nodded. "Yes… Maybe if those two see each other face to face, something might wham the man to his right sense and finally admit his feelings for Relena."

"You got it. I'll make sure Relena'll say yes."

"Tell her that Heero's coming." Duo quipped. "Maybe that'll help push her to go."

"And what about Heero?" Quatre asked skeptically. He knew for a fact that even Ms. Une has trouble finding him… All she knew was that if she sends out a message in a certain frequency, she'd either get a yes or a no. 

Quatre felt the hair at the back of his neck rise at Duo's mischievous grin. 'What is he planning?' Even Shanah felt the deadly mischief from the chestnut haired man.

"Oh, don't worry about Heero… a little frequency message of sabotage to any of Ms. Peacecraft's speeches will make him run out of his secret hideaway… And when he shows his pretty face at the proper place and time, I'll drop the bomb on him about my marriage and not tell him that Relena's coming… that way, he'll really go."

Quatre shrugged. "Alright. I'll also tell Relena to keep it a secret, just in case… What about Wufei?"

Hilde and Duo looked at each other and winked. Shanah grinned at their enthusiasm.

"Well… we've been hearing from Lydia…" Hilde started.

"And according to some of my contacts, sparks fly when the explosives specialist and Wufei get together… soo…" That sparkle in Duo's eyes is contagious! "Who else will I partner to Wuffie, right? I love riling him up!"

Quatre laughed. "Well, I guess you know whom I want him to partner with." Then Quatre became serious. "Hey guys, not to be rude or anything but are you two okay… financially I mean, for this wedding?"

Hilde's smile never lost its shine as she hugged Duo harder while Duo hugged her back.

"Everything is cool, Q-man."

"Duo's going to give me a fairytale wedding…" Hilde sighed out, placing her head on Duo's shoulder.

Shanah felt like saying 'Awww..' while Quatre grinned. 

"Alright… Last question, Hilde… where's this fairytale wedding going to be at?"

"Heaven Cove, Redford, Earth Sphere." 

"Oh, and invite all the Maganacs. I want them to come." Duo mentioned.

Quatre's eyebrow nearly shot up… Considering how large Hilde's family was… then Maganacs… Hilde and Duo sure are planning a huge party… Duo must have saved very hard for this day. "You got it Duo… And, I have a suggestion."

"Yes?" Hilde's eyes peeked up at Quatre while she played with Duo's braid.

"I have a place in Redford and… how about we house the bridesmaids and best men there? Both of you, too. The Maganacs have their base still intact underneath, so they can stay there… and… they could secure the place for Relena's safety…"

Duo blinked. "Hey… good idea… I forgot about security for Relena… Not to mention that putting those two together in one house will help… Heh, thanks Quatre."

"Anytime Duo… Anything for friends and _G_-pals." Quatre used Duo's term and incited a grin from the braided man.

"You got it, _G_-pal. Well… Sorry if we took too much of your time…"

"No problem."

"It was great meeting you Shanah!" Hilde said as she waved good-bye to the two.

Shanah waved back before the screen went black. The moment it did, Quatre pulled her and she fell on top of his lap. He instantly hugged her.

Shanah laughed. "I think Rashid is starting to get some ideas in his head." She straightened Quatre's tie.

"If he is, then he must like you… he hasn't brought up anything with me yet and that only means that he approves." Quatre whispered before he kissed her on the lips.

"Is that … good or is that bad?" Shanah asked curiously, not really knowing how Rashid thought.

"That's good." Quatre said with a laugh.

Shanah stood up. "I guess I should be happy then… come on, tea's getting cold."

"Do I still get to baby feed you?" Quatre asked as he followed Shanah.

Laughter left her lips. "Nope… I want to do that to you."

Quatre grinned as he sat on his desk and watched Shanah take a plate. "I'm gonna love eating those cakes."

~*~

Shanah sighed as she brushed her wet hair away from her face then stared at the mirror in front of her… straight at her reflection.

She glanced at her thick glasses, perched on the sink, reached for it, and then placed them on the bridge of her nose. She saw the change from her old face to this new one… Felicia to Shanah… 

For a moment, she let her hand trace her lips, remembering the good night kiss Quatre gave her just outside her door… only a few minutes ago…

Quatre… sweet, adorable… beloved Quatre…

The past few months had been wonderful… so wonderful that… 'I wish it could last forever…' 

For a moment, she remembered the trouble in Terran and her hands grew cold…

'No… I never want that to happen…ever…'

In the empty room, misty from the steam of the hot water… four simple words were uttered from her softly smiling lips…

"I love you… Quatre…"

~*~

BEEEEP!!! BEEEEPPP!!!

The incessant beeping woke Shanah up from her dreams and her hands sleepily grabbed for her alarm clock. The innocent clock sailed in an arc over her bed and slammed against the wall just as Shanah snuggled back inside her warm covers.

BEEEEP!!! BEEEEP!!!

"Alright… Alright… Coming…" Shanah mumbled as she grabbed her phone and tugged it to her ear.

"Shanah?"

Quatre's troubled voice instantly took the haze of sleepiness from her mind and made her sit up straight in her bed.

"Quatre? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry to wake you up-"

"No. It's okay."

"Do you have the Harris-Keltron Contract with you?"

Shanah mentally riffled through what she brought home. "Yes, I think I do. You gave it to me."

"Good. The two are trying to sue one of the plants-"

"WHAT?!" Shanah cried out as she jumped on the bed, instantly outraged.

"Don't worry about it… Maybe it's just some misunderstanding… I'll come over and get the papers."

"No…" Shanah went to her closet and started to grab for her clothes. "I'm going to go there." From the worry in Quatre's voice… She just wanted to be there for him…

"Are you sure?"

"Yes… I'll be there in twenty minutes." Shanah nearly fell to her buttocks as she pulled her pants up to her waist.

"Alright, I'll be expecting you…"

"Bye." Shanah muttered as she dropped the phone back in place and took out her oversized shirt. She checked her watch…

'Cabs… no buses tonight… cabs…' 

~*~

The toned down chimes of the Winner mansion instantly made Quatre run to the door and open it-

"What happened to you?!" It was the only thing he could say as he stared at … Shanah's?… still dripping, very drenched form…

Shanah looked up at Quatre from her curtain of wet hair, her face showing a murderous grimace. "Who sets their sprinkler system at 12 in the morning?"

Quatre looked behind her and saw the sprinklers still spouting water… from the length of the drive to the front door…

"Er… I didn't know… The gardeners look after that." His lips started to twitch and Shanah's glare hardened from behind her glasses.

"Don't you dare think of laughing…" She didn't finish her sentence when Quatre burst out laughing.

For a moment, she tried to keep her frown on her face… but as always, his laughter made her laugh…

Quatre took off his robe and wrapped it around her shoulders, then, to her surprise, he bent down and picked her up.

She could only gasp.

"Could you take off your rubber shoes?" Quatre asked as he positioned her feet just outside his doorway.

Shanah nodded as she pushed her shoes off her feet while a hand went around Quatre's neck and another kept a firm hold on her file case- thankfully waterproof!

"Hmm… don't want me dripping all over the floor, huh?"

Quatre shook his head as he closed the door. "No… besides, it gives me a good excuse to hold you like this." His embrace tightened and she just smiled.

"I'm going to leave you in my room. Get some dry clothes on. I don't want you to get sick." 

They passed an open double door. 

"That's the study. Just go down there after you're done, okay?"

Shanah nodded and tightened her hold on Quatre as he started to walk up the stairs. 

"I'm getting your shirt wet." Shanah said glanced at the growing spot on his shirt.

Quatre shrugged. "It's alright. There's a fire in the study… It'll dry…" He looked at her. "Not like you."

Shanah grinned. "Ah well. What can I say? I'm unique?"

Quatre laughed, finally stopped and slowly set her down. "That you are." He opened his bedroom door. "I'll be waiting for you in the study."

Shanah offered him her case. "Red folder, third slot."

"Got it." He turned around and walked hurriedly to the study just as Shanah walked into his room and closed the door behind her.

His room was… His… it was the only way she could describe it… Elegant and masculine… Polished wood and white cabinets… blue sheets the color of skies just when the sun is about to disappear in the horizon… 

Neat and orderly… 

Her gaze fell on the bathrobe carelessly thrown over the edge of his bed and she grinned. "Well… nearly neat and orderly…"

She walked straight for his shower and used his bathrobe as her towel to dry off her wet skin, took her hair out of its badly done bun then took off her clothes- save for her underwear- and piled it to one side. Feeling a little… embarrassed that she's about to go into Quatre's room, nearly naked, she grabbed the towel on the rack and wrapped it around her, making a mental note to put it back once again.

The lush carpets hindered any sounds of footsteps as she walked to what she thought to be the closet and opened it… She smiled when she saw the neatly stacked shirts and starched, ironed dress shirts…

'So… what can I use? Never had to choose anything from the men's department before…' She thought, amused, as she opened his lower drawer and saw sweaters.

'Sweaters are good…' She took out the first one, the color reminded her of Quatre's eyes and she quickly donned it… It reached her mid-thigh and the sleeves were an arm longer but it was comfortable and warm…

Shanah laughed. "I wonder why you have such a big sweater." 

Now for shorts… 

She had to open two drawers before she was able to find what seemed to be an athletics drawer and found some shorts in it. She chose the ones with the small white rope to tie around her waist.

Shanah quickly closed his drawers and didn't even glance at herself in the mirror as she ran out of his room and down his stairs, at the same time, slipped on her glasses, and stopped just outside his study.

"Knock knock." Shanah's voice cheerfully greeted Quatre who was pouring his whole attention on the papers.

He looked up and, for a moment, his eyebrows shot up at the sight of her… then the twinkling laughter in his eyes made Shanah pout.

"Remember, if you laugh at me, you'll be laughing at your own taste in clothes! These _are_ yours." She could see him trying to force down his laughter, trying to gain his seriousness… and slowly loosing… Her grin didn't help either… Then, she laughed at the comical look on his face and he laughed along with her.

"You look funny." Quatre gasped out as he motioned for the seat in front of the desk.

"When I see you with this sweater and shorts, I'll tell you exactly the same thing." Shanah countered as she sat down, glanced at the thick pile of papers in front of Quatre and instantly became serious. 

"What're you looking for and what's the trouble?"

"Harris and Keltron are saying that the J-15 plant didn't do their end of the contract… I have the papers from the previous three years with me right here, and I'm going to run through the contract again."

"How about I take care of the J-15 papers and you take care of the contract and we'll see what we find?"

Quatre nodded as he passed her the thick stack of papers. "Thanks."

Shanah shook her head. "Glad to help." She sat back against her seat and started going through the papers while Quatre did the same with his.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours…

Shanah chanced a look at Quatre and saw his grimace as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand then the back of his neck with the other.

Shanah sighed, dropped the third year papers and took off her glasses. "Are you okay?"

Quatre nodded. "Yeah… just starting again."

She wrinkled her nose, she hated to see his face so taut and stressed. She stood up and walked behind him. "Here, let me do that." Her hands stopped his and Quatre let his hands drop. Shanah's small hands went to his shoulders and started to massage it. Quatre's eyes closed as she started doing magic on his aching neck. "So far, J-15 has been meeting all orders from H-K's companies… That's according to the transactions from the past two and a half years. What have you found in the contract?"

Quatre tilted his head forward to let Shanah massage his neck. "The usual contract. It doesn't have anything special per say… I don't know what they were talking about when they called me…"

"They are such idiots not to notice the time difference." Shanah removed her hand from his shoulders and placed it on his temples, softly easing the frown on his forehead.

Quatre sighed. "You know what… you're good at this."

Shanah shrugged. "My mom was a masseuse…" Her hand went down to his shoulders, slowly traced his spine down then back up once again… over his shoulders and down his arms… Her hands created an arousing dance over his muscles… feeling herself being drawn in…

"Shanah…" Quatre's hoarse voice moaned out as Shanah's hands went over his chest. 

"Mmm…?" It was the only thing she could say…

Quatre groaned as he twisted in his seat and pulled Shanah on top of him. She landed unceremoniously on his lap but it didn't matter to either of them as lips met and clashed… their frantic hands went in search for skin… 

Shanah moaned against his lips as Quatre's hands roamed down her back and over her firm buttocks to nestle her into the cradle of his hips. He tore his lips from hers, then trailed a ribbon of kisses down the side of her slender neck… She tipped her head back, eyes closed and he kissed the beating pulse at the base of her throat…

All thought fled as heat coiled and pulsed within Shanah… Quatre slipped his hand under the sweater and touched her hips while his other hand roamed over her leg… free from her usual hindering pants…

"Shanah…" Quatre whispered, a little surprised that he's still able to talk when nameless emotions churned in him… His hands skimmed over the curve of her hips, then traveled upwards to cup her breasts.

Shanah gasped. "Yes?" Sensations she'd never known before consumed her as she arched her back and whispered his name.

"Tell me to stop now… I… I don't want to but… if… you don't…want…" God! If she says no now… he'll go crazy…!

Shanah pulled Quatre's face from her chest up to her own, kissed him, met his tongue with her own, returned his kiss with fervor that spoke of her increasing desire… touched that he would still ask for her permission. Couldn't he feel it? "I… do…" Shanah whispered against his lips, giving her consent to the man she loves…

What man could stop when the girl he's crazy about so willingly gives? Their fire burned, hot as the blaze in the hearth, as each gave willingly and offered willingly…

~*~

Quatre kissed Shanah's exposed shoulder tenderly while his hand didn't leave her waist… their legs tangled… The glow from the fireplace added highlights of gold and red in her brown wavy hair that half covered his bare chest… 

'Ah God, nothing has ever been as beautiful… as wondrous as what happened…'

Shanah stirred in his arms, turned, and snuggled closer as if even in her sleep, she thinks of him…

Making love on his carpet in his study room… He never thought he'd be doing that… Well…

Quatre grinned…

Not until he was married… but… He pressed his cheek against her hair… His beautiful Shanah… emerald eyes ablaze with passion…

Now he knew how it was to really love someone… He hadn't been sure before, even when she filled his thoughts and dreams… even when she drove him crazy when they made out in his office… never going to the extremes until now.

And he had a feeling… a strong feeling that she felt the same way that he did for her… What woman would willingly give up her most precious gift if not to someone they deemed special?

His lips brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "I don't know when… I don't know where… but Shanah Winter… I love you… and I intend to marry you…"

His soft promise did not reach her ears, her conscious thoughts still in Somnus' care… but Quatre didn't worry… he'd find a way to show her his feelings…

BEEEEEPPP!!!! BEEEEPPPP!!!

Shanah stirred and Quatre was suddenly pulled out of his sweet thoughts at the sound that shattered the peace.

'Damn! I'm going to rip that phone out of the wall!'

BEEEP!!! BEEEEPPP!!! BEEEPP!!!

Shanah stirred once again and Quatre unwillingly moved away from her body to pick up the phone before she could wake up.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Quatre Winner?" 

His voice must have hinted at his irate feeling because the man's voice wobbled. Quatre sighed and willed his voice to bear more patience. "Speaking." 

"Sir… We are truly sorry for the trouble we've caused."

Quatre frowned, slightly confused. "Who's this?"

"Oh… sorry sire… This is Harris-Keltrons' head lawyer."

Quatre's eyebrow rose up. "Yes."

"And… this has never happened before… we are truly sorry but… our clients seemed to have mixed the papers they had given to us, someway or another, and well… what we are trying to say, sir, is that you aren't the company we were supposed to sue…"

Quatre blinked and his eyes widened, a funny mixed feeling coursing in him. "You mean to tell me that this was just a big mix up?"

"Y-yes sir… we're truly sorry sir… We're prepared to take any financial burden that we might have caused… or the likes, sir."

Quatre grinned… The man on the other end of the line sure was nervous… how many sirs had it been? Then again… why should he be mad? If it wasn't for the mix up, he'd never had experienced the wonderful…

"Sir?"

Quatre shook himself out of his thoughts. "Yes?"

"I was just asking if you would like to meet with us and discuss… well… the problems we have caused you."

Quatre shook his head. "What's your name?"

"Sir? J-Ja-Jamessen."

"Well, J-Ja-Jamessen, you have, for the second time, disturbed my night. I only wish for you to stop calling people without thinking of the time difference ahead of time, and to advice you that next time you do your accusations, make sure that it is the right company. Other than that, I would like to say good night- or is it morning? And that I will not ask for any compensations. Got that?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Good. So long." Without waiting for the other man's good byes, Quatre dropped the phone and turned to go back to his true love's embrace, only to find Shanah's eyes trained on him with an affectionate smile on her face.

"Let me guess… false alarm?"

Quatre grinned as he walked back to her, not caring that his whole body was being looked over by her darkened eyes. "Yep… the whole thing was a mix up."

Shanah instantly snuggled in his embrace as soon as he was in place. "Good… I knew there couldn't be anything wrong."

Quatre sighed as he tightened his hold on her body with one hand while he cradled the back of his head with the other, loving the way Shanah's hands traveled over his chest… inducing a shiver as it traveled down…

"Where did you get this?"

Her curious wonder and slight touch made Quatre look down even if he knew what she was asking about… His scar… Dorothy's rapier…

He sighed as he remembered those hard times… How was she? Had she finally found herself? "I got it during the war… from a soul haplessly wounded because of war…"

Shanah felt the depth of his sigh… felt his pain and forgiveness… She leaned down and kissed it, inciting Quatre's arousal then looked up in his eyes. "I am just happy that you came out alive."

Quatre pulled Shanah upwards. "Same here… for both my sake and yours." Their lips met once again and amorously tasted each other.

"Quatre… you do know that we're in your study? What if someone comes in?" Shanah whispered against his lips, reason slowly fading in her mind.

Quatre wrenched his lips away. "You're right…" His hands traveled up and down the side of her leg, loving the way her eyes darkened and how her body shivered under his touch. "Bedroom?"

Shanah grinned out her response and the next thing she knew, she was swept up in Quatre's embrace once again. She looped her hands around his neck and he started running up the deserted stairs, both with not a single article of clothing on, only with happy smiles on their faces.


	7. Reflections of Beauty 7

****

Reflections of Beauty  
By Obsolete Love  
Chapter 7

Shanah rubbed her temple. Her head ached with a bad migraine while her chest constricted painfully… 

'God… I won't cry… I won't cry… It's only…' She checked her watch.

'It's only noon… the day isn't over yet… besides… Quatre is going to come back anytime now…'

She drew in a shuddering breath and willed herself to stay calm and composed… And for a moment she was, until anger washed over her…

'Who the hell did they think they were?!' she slammed her folder over her desk, trying to vent out her frustration… 'I mean… that picture had been taken over 6 months ago!!! I'm his personal assistant! Of course they'd get pictures of me beside him!!!'

And yet… the words those women who had been coming in and out of the doors so far for the whole morning kept on ringing in her head… Name calls… derogatory terms… accusations… shameless back stabbing reputation stripping-

'God, Quatre… come back soon…' Shanah bit her lower lip… She didn't believe them… didn't even pay much attention to them… 'Where the hell have all those women been? I mean… I'd have been ready for them 6 months ago…! Besides, why'd they only pick me?! Why didn't they think Relena and Quatre had something?!'

But she already knew the answer to that… She looked at the piece of newspaper that was slapped to her desk earlier… How was she able to miss this part of the news?! Oh yeah… the rush projects…

__

'According to sources, Mr. Winner was sharing the room with his Personal Assistant Ms. Winter! How personal is it?!'

'The way they phrased it!!!'

__

'I suppose Mr. Winner is opting for the bookish librarian look from this point of view.'

'Alright, so what?! Maybe he does!' The moment she said that, she knew that it wasn't a 'maybe'… Her thoughts flitted back to the past few weeks that had been more than heaven to her… Rashid definitely knew that there's something going on between them… After all, he caught them kissing inside the confines of the small coffee room, for Pete's sake!!!

Shanah's cheeks blushed a deep red… 'Well… not exactly kissing… uhm… more of… making out…' 

"So there! Quatre could have chosen whomever he wanted and he chose me!" Shanah proclaimed to the article in front of her, making her mood feel better. "He doesn't care about looks, he cares about what's inside." She crumpled the paper and threw it in the trashcan. "So there!"

Shanah slumped back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest, feeling quite murderous. 'Okay Shanah… Take a deep breath… Don't let them get to you…' she closed her eyes and willed her body to calm down…

Suddenly, Shanah nearly fell off her chair at the sudden crash of her door against the wall. Her eyes quickly reverted to the doorway and she couldn't stop the grimace that came over her face.

'Calm… Relax…'

"What the hell does this article mean?!" 

Shanah watched, with steel eyes, as the woman in tight fitting clothes walked to her desk and slapped the newspaper clipping on the table. She tried her best to remain calm but her inner anger was already raging… She'd been through the exact routine seemingly a 100 times this morning already! When will it stop?!

"Well?! I demand an answer!!!"

Shanah's eyes slanted as she picked up the paper. She tried… God knows she tried! But anger got the upper hand. "I'm sorry, but if you would like to receive reading lessons, this isn't the place for you. You should have paid more attention to your English teachers."

The woman's hand was like lightning and the sound of palm slapping skin reverberated through the room…

~*~

Quatre gave a sigh of relief as he went inside his limo, let his form slump for a few seconds then properly sat up once again. 

'What I wouldn't give for one of Shanah's massage…' Quatre's eyes twinkled. 'And some other things…' He cleared his throat. "Rashid, any word from Relena?"

Rashid nodded. "She just wrote 'Yes' and sent the message via Main Base. Smart of her to do that."

Quatre grinned. "I told her to keep it a secret…" His grin disappeared. "So… let's just hope Heero and Trowa are coming… You haven't received any postcards yet… have you?"

Rashid shook his head.

Quatre looked out of the limousine's window as he tried to picture his friend's face… It's been too long since they last saw each other face to face… it would be great if they could spend even a few days just to catch up… "He'll come…" I hope…

Rashid looked at Quatre in slight anxiety. There's been something on his mind lately… something he's musing about… but… even with that, he'd never seen Quatre happier than he'd been these past few months! Of course there's only one person responsible for all that… and it's all rright with him…

"Master Quatre…" he tried to think of something that might cheer Quatre once again as the man turned to him. "Polls for #3 rose up 500 credits on No this week."

__

That brought out a laugh from Quatre. "I bet they heard the little fight between Ms. Explosives and Mr. Chang, eh?"

Rashid grinned. "Very much so."

The car door opened to the entrance door of his father's building and Quatre instantly walked out, ready to see her smiling face once again.

"The memos are in order already, Rashid. You just need to drop it by Shanah's desk." He waited impatiently for the elevator to stop on his floor, tapping his foot…

"Of course, Master Quatre." Rashid followed Quatre to his office, frowning slightly when he saw Shanah's open doors…

Suddenly, Quatre stopped and Rashid nearly collided against him. 

"Darn!" Quatre muttered as he saw one of his usually 'uninvited' guests inside Shanah's office.

Rashid looked up and saw Shanah's face-off with the irritating woman… Ahh… she's usually good with-

Quatre's eyes widened in shock as he saw a hand connect with Shanah's cheek that snapped her beautiful face to the right with the blow. Even Rashid's eyes bulged out!

Fury enveloped Quatre, but before he could take a step forward, Rashid's iron hold stopped him. Quatre looked at Rashid, his eyes slanted. 'Dammit!' He wanted to… well… he couldn't hit a woman but he's going to do something about it!

Rashid saw the anger in Quatre's eyes and slowly shook his head. 'This is her fight…' He thought, knowing that Quatre would understand his message.

For a few seconds, Quatre didn't seem to understand but then Rashid saw him nod and turn to face the scene in front of them once again… 

Shanah, still stood her ground and faced her visitor once again with a sarcastic smile. "You know what I'm wondering? Where have all you women been? I mean, this paper is over six months old!"

Eyes slanted in fury remained fixed upon Shanah. "You wouldn't understand a model's career. I had been in a photo shoot."

"Ah… you and how many other women?"

"Ms. Winter. I told you once that you're not going to get Quatre. I've been after him far longer than you have and you're not going to get him without a fight!"

That sarcastic smile didn't leave Shanah's half-numbed face as she leaned over her table, palms braced against the desk. She's had enough of them all! "And I told you once that I don't intend to stoop so low as to fight with you… or is it that those spray nets have clogged your brain cells already and none of them are functioning correc-"

She wasn't able to finish as her head snapped to her right once again and her glasses flew off her face… Another coat of sting was added on her already throbbing face, then before she could think, another slap made her face snap to her other side.

'Shanah!' Quatre's mind cried out.

Rashid's hold on Quatre's shoulder tightened as he felt him jerk forward. "No…."

"Dammit Rashid! Let go!" Quatre muttered out through gritted teeth, but Rashid's hold was strong.

Shanah's left cheek hurt more than her right but she didn't care as, once again, she forced her eyes to look straight to where she knew her opponent stood and tried to will the stars that appeared in her vision to go away. "You don't want to pick a fight with me. I can assure you that." Her calm voice belied the fury she was feeling inside…

"You better stop insulting me!"

"I? Insult you?! You have been the one insulting me in the past months!" Shanah retorted, finally able to gaze straight at the vicious red-faced woman. Shanah saw the woman's eyes turn to smaller slits, then… as if reaching a decision, all anger disappeared from her face. 

"You know… I don't even know why I even bother with you. I really don't. Blame it on jealousy… then again… what is there for me to be jealous of?" 

Shanah felt her whole body eyed and stripped critically. A feeling of dread encompassed her… But as she did so long ago, she forced her mind to block it and keep her face…

"You don't have a single fashion sense. Your hair is limp, your face is shallow… you are the ugliest, most disgusting person I've ever seen… Quatre could never ever love someone like you!"

Quatre's fury raged to a degree even he couldn't understand, and even Rashid's eyes were flashing red as he let go of Quatre's shoulder. The young man didn't need any prompting as he zoomed inside Shanah's office.

"GET OUT RIGHT NOW!!!"

The sudden roar drew both women's attention to the door. Shanah saw Quatre as she had never seen him before! Eyes blazed with clear contempt and wrath… fists clenched tight and shaking at his sides as if he was having trouble with containing the ferocious tempest that raged within him.

"Why Quatre darling. I… I didn't know that you were back…" 

Quatre's eyes zoomed straight at the woman who spoke. "Lee Anne…" Quatre breathed in deeply as he fought for control.

"Yes, Quatre?" she smiled sweetly into his eyes.

"I am giving you three seconds to vacate this room- no, this building! And never show your face here again."

Shanah's eyes widened in surprise.

Lee Anne frowned, her anger sparked, but opted to still play her game. "What do you mean?"

"One."

"Quatre, darling." Lee Anne walked to him, trying not to flinch. 'Could it be that he saw…?'

"Two."

Rashid and Shanah felt the dangerous strain in his voice and the hair at the back of their necks rose in fear…

Lee Anne didn't move from her place in front of Quatre. "Dear Quatre, aren't you even going to say hello-"

"THREE!!!!"

Quatre's bellow nearly rocked the whole floor.

Lee Anne frowned. "Don't you dare shout at me!"

Shanah shook her head.

"FINE! BE THAT WAY!" Quatre yelled as he walked to Lee Anne, unceremoniously grabbed her around the waist and then dropped her on his shoulder. 

"What are you doing?!" Lee Anne angrily demanded while Quatre walked out of the room.

Shanah moved her feet to follow the screaming Lee Anne and the stoic Quatre, and saw Rashid waiting for her in an open elevator.

"Rashid? What's happening?" Shanah asked in bewilderment. She actually feels a bit sorry for the girl.

"Something that should have been done a long time ago." Rashid answered as he herded Shanah into another elevator.

The elevator opened just in time to see Quatre walk to the main entrance while some of his workers watched the parade curiously as a seemingly insane woman pounded at their employer's back.

"LET ME GO!!! LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT!!!"

Quatre pushed the glass doors open and then dropped Lee Anne on the asphalt- very carelessly.

"OW!!!"

"I gave you three seconds to vacate properly and you didn't listen. Be happy that I do not hit women. Do not EVER show your face around here again!"

A stream of wildly shouted curses followed Quatre as he walked back inside the building. Workers parted for Quatre and he instantly saw Shanah's red face with Rashid beside her… but first thing's first. His gaze traveled around until it landed on his security. 

"Noel, that woman is not allowed in the premises. Bar the doors. If you even see her around the area, arrest her."

"Y-Yes Mr. Winner." The man stuttered as he walked to the door and stood guard.

Quatre shifted his gaze on Shanah once again and she felt the want to hide herself. He walked up to them. "Rashid, get everyone calmed. Shanah. Upstairs."

"Yes, Quatre…" Shanah whispered and followed him into the elevator. It was the first time she felt him so distant and cold as he stood with his back straight and tension wrought… his hands still in fists… It was stifling inside that small room and she was instantly happy when it opened on their floor…

He opened the door to her office and she went in… The door clicked shut and she cringed. Shanah couldn't bear it any longer! She felt as if she had to explain everything… She turned around just as she started to speak. "Quatre I-"

Her words were muffled as his lips crushed hers while his hands embraced her body tightly against his own… She hadn't even known that he had been right behind her! And, involuntarily, her hands went up around his neck, not at all minding the bruising kisses he rained on her lips.

They wrenched away from each other only to gasp for air and Quatre's hands went up to her face, cupped it and tenderly brushed her cheek. He could see the slight red imprint of Lee Ann's hands, contrasting with her white skin. "Are you alright?" 

His raspy voice was soothing, so was his touch on her face and Shanah nodded. "Yes… I'm okay."

"Shanah." He tilted her face up to his, made her meet his gaze to let her see the truth. "Nothing she said was true… you believe me, don't you? Nothing she said was true."

Shanah nodded once again, choking up and starting to feel her eyes water.

Quatre felt and saw the telltale signs on her face and he shook his head as he hugged her to him. He pressed her face against his chest while he brushed her hair. "Shanah, please don't cry… Please… I don't want to see you cry…" 

His soft voice and tender embrace only incited more tears to cloud her vision.

"Shanah, sweetheart." Quatre pulled himself away from her and tilted her chin up once again. His aquamarine eyes met her cloudy emerald green ones. "I think that you are the most beautiful and wonderful person I've ever met and I love you."

The tears that threatened to fall from Shanah's eyes now fell freely at what Quatre said and Shanah felt like crying and laughing at the same time, but tears got to her first.

Quatre groaned as he kissed and brushed away her tears, not being able to stand seeing her like this. "Shanah… oh God! I'm going to murder that woman!"

At those words, laughter freely left her lips while more tears flow down her face. 

Quatre didn't know what to do! 'What's happening to her?!'

"Oh my… I think I'm acting crazy… don't you think so?" Shanah asked through hiccups as she leaned against Quatre's chest. Her arms went around his waist while his went around her shoulders. "I feel like crying and laughing at the same time… and I'm doing it… I probably look very much like an insane woman right now… a true blue crazy woman."

Quatre shook his head, just happy to hear her talk. "No…"

"Yes."

"No." Quatre's voice became harder.

"I said yes."

"Shanah, are you trying to create an argument?" Quatre asked as he looked down at her just as she looked up at him, smiling impishly through her tears.

"No, I'm not. But I'm still saying that I'm crazy and I like it."

"Dammit Shanah. Stop it! I don't understand what you're saying." Quatre's frustration came back once again as his hands tightened its hold on her shoulders.

Shanah took a small step away from Quatre, creating a space wide enough for her arms to move up and around his shoulders once again and then locking them together by his nape. "I love you, too." Shanah whispered. She saw a look of surprise on his face before she tiptoed and kissed him to prove exactly what she said… His lips smiled against her own and she felt the happiness that coursed through her once again. 

If she had to fight to keep him… so be it… she'd fight on their turf and beat them all. They'd all wish they'd never met her… Shanah won't hide anymore…

~*~

"Coming!" Ann shouted as she ran to her door and wiped her hands against her jeans. She opened it and stopped dead in her track. "Shanah!"

Shanah smiled at the blonde woman's shock. "Hi… I hope you don't mind the intrusion…"

Ann shook her head as she opened the door wider. "No… come on in…" She closed the door and herded Shanah into the living room. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Shanah shook her head. 

"I had a feeling that this isn't exactly a social call… and with what the tabloids have been raving about you, Quatre, and Lee Anne Star…"

Shanah looked away then glanced back at her friend. "You're right… this isn't exactly a social call… Uhm… I need to ask a favor… actually… quite a few favors…"

Ann's right eyebrow shot up inquiringly. "Let's hear it first."

From her bag, Shanah took out three envelopes. "I can't go out that much because of uhm… the sudden… interest on my behalf."

Ann nodded.

"And I've decided to finish something that needs to get done."

"And how are you going to do that?" Ann inquired as she looked at the envelopes.

"That's why I need your help. If you could deliver these two messages and return with the stuff I've asked for… then contact the list of people from this paper and give a message… and finally, ask Quatre to come with you-"

"Wait. Hold on." Ann leaned forward and took the three envelopes from her. "All I have to do is to be a messenger, call some people and take Quatre somewhere, basically, right?"

Shanah nodded. "Right. Those women will not stop until I fight on their own territory… I'm not about to let Quatre go, so I will fight."

Ann grinned as she heard the sincerity in her voice. "I'm in. What's the plan?"

Shanah smiled as she leaned forward…

~*~

"Thanks for coming with me, Quatre…" Ann cheerfully said as they walked inside the most fashionable restaurant in the colony. 

"Anything for a friend, Ann." Quatre answered with a smile. "I wish Shanah could join us too… but, I guess her headache was getting bad…"

Ann hid a grin. "Yes… must be." She looked around and saw some very popular people staring at them… a few people with cameras ready…

'So far so good… Shanah, I hope you know what you're doing…'

A waiter guided them to their table- right in the middle of the room… just as planned… 'I wonder what you're planning, Shanah…' Ann thought, her mind went back to those two first class private fashion companies she had gone to last week- the companies Shanah's letter was addressed to- and then she was given items. She didn't even know what they were! Well… except that one of them were clothes… that's for sure…

Quatre sat in view of the restaurant's entrance then checked the menu… He accidentally glanced up and instantly recoiled. He wanted to be one with the chair as a woman was ushered in his plain view… "Darn…!" 

Ann's head shot up and saw Quatre's grimace. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Ann… do you think it's alright if we switch seats? Please?"

The slight panic in his voice made her nod. To others, it would have seemed that it was Ann who wanted to change seats… 

Quatre sighed as he reached for the menu once again menu and looked up. His eyes fell on too many familiar 'uninvited' guests around… and reporters… Quatre muttered a silent prayer then brought the menu up to cover his face.

Ann checked her watched and saw that they were right on time…8pm… So… 'Where's Shanah?'

The door opened and closed, and for a moment, Ann felt the whole restaurant become still and silent- and then frenzy! 

"That's Felicia Lance!" Someone cried out from the second floor balcony as light bulbs flashed and cameras snapped.

'Felicia Lance?!' Ann's head jerked up, intent to see the woman who revitalized fashion and suddenly disappeared two years ago… The elusive Felicia Lance… Face amongst the face… When did she come back in town?

She watched as a woman in fashionable emerald silk dress posed gracefully, and stylishly in front of people. Her brown hair in a half sweep with curls that framed her features and her clear face smiled perfectly into the cameras.

A frowned appeared on Ann's face. She knew that face… Ann gasped in surprise as Felicia Lance glanced at her direction and then winked.

"Oh my God!" Ann muttered under her breath in disbelief. She could only stare as Felicia started to walk towards her table.

Quatre glanced up and saw Ann's pale face. "Ann… what's wrong?"

Ann couldn't speak and… Felicia- Shanah stopped right behind Quatre.

"Quatre." 

Shanah's voice made Quatre turn around. "Sha…" His voice trailed off as he stared into a woman's smiling face…Familiar face… familiar smile…

"Hi."

Familiar shy smile… beautiful emerald green eyes…

"Shanah?" Quatre gasped out in confusion. The same… but not…

"Hello, sweetheart." Shanah whispered just loud enough for the reporters to hear and then leaned down to kiss Quatre full on the lips, instantly making him forget about his train of thought as _very_ familiar lips kissed his…

Quatre's eyes closed to shut out the confusion around him… to shut out everything around him but the feel of the woman in front of him… Concentrated on her… and he didn't make a mistake as he deepened the kiss, oblivious to the snaps of cameras or irate women crashing out of the restaurant.

Slowly, their deep kiss ended and Quatre stared into those mesmerizing emerald gems once again just as she stared into his. 

"Wanna escape?" Shanah asked hesitantly, her eyes squinted as flashes from some cameras nearly blinded her.

Quatre sternly looked at her, but couldn't help the smile on his lips. "You have a lot to tell me." He grabbed her hand just as he stood up. "Let's go." And the two ran out of the restaurant.

The security personnel of the respective place stopped the press while Shanah pointed to the waiting black limousine in front of them.

Quatre shrugged as he pushed her inside then closed the door behind them.

"Drive. Take us anywhere just lose the press." Shanah ordered to the driver from the speaker and the limousine revved forward.

Quatre turned to face the woman in front of him, not really knowing what he should do… 

Shanah reached out for his face and gently rubbed the sides of his lips. "You have some lipstick around your mouth."

"I bet those reporters got a very close-up picture of that." Quatre said patiently as he waited for the explanation due to him. For some reason, he's actually calm.

Shanah sighed as she looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry… Please don't get mad… It was the only way."

Quatre reached out to touch her hands… Same hands… Same person… Two names… Just two names…

"What do you mean?" Quatre asked as he squeezed her hand to urge her on.

"Quatre… My stage name is Felicia Lance… I'm… was a model."

"Pretty famous one from the way those reporters rushed at you."

Shanah's shy blush made Quatre feel more comfortable around her… It's just so Shanah-ish to blush like that…

"Uhm… I had my time… And… I guess it's because I was pretty good with avoiding the press that… Their curiosity was tweaked."

Shanah breathed in as she tried to calm the pitter-patter of her heart. "I've been modeling since I was a child… My mom's salary was low, and… I made more money than she did… So, we basically lived off my salary… We were able to save enough… but she died and hospital bills…" Her eyes clouded as she remembered those times…

Quatre could only hold her hand… rub her skin with his thumb…

"I… wanted to get a degree… so I decided to begin modeling again… My salary got me through… I was able to save enough again so, I decided to leave it… I never felt like I belonged anyway… I never liked the way they only look at your face… your figure… They never really cared about the person inside…" A tear fell from her eyes then another…

Quatre nodded…. Now he understood… He never really noticed it, but he's heard some of his sisters' say something about Shanah's clothing…

"I had to do what I did… I know how those women think… I've gone through seven months of repeatedly trying to stop them and barely succeeded because I didn't do it right. Been there… done that… move on… But I also know that they won't stop until they're beaten on their own terms…" Shanah looked up to see if she could make Quatre understand. "Tonight was that term, Quatre… They won't bother you anymore… And… if you… I mean… I won't bother you either if you-"

Quatre's finger on her lips hushed her, his eyes showed clear understanding… "As you said… Felicia Lance was your stage name… Shanah Winter is your real name… and it's Shanah Winter I know."

He took off his coat and folded a tip of it then started to pat Shanah's face dry of her tears, taking off half of her make up. He's just so surprised that her true self hadn't been destroyed…

"You don't have to hide, you know… you'll still be the same Shanah Winter I love."

Shanah timidly smiled while Quatre grinned.

"No… Quatre… there's no more hiding for me, either as Shanah or Felicia."

Quatre sighed and then he started to crack his knuckles dangerously. "I guess that only leaves one thing for me to do…"

Shanah frowned in confusion. "I don't understand what you mean…"

"I have to start practicing my defensive, evasive steps to fend off guys that'll be after you." 

At that announcement, Shanah started laughing softly, she scooted nearer to Quatre and placed her head on his shoulder. "Remember, I also need to fend off women who are still after you… so you're not the only one worrying."

Quatre sighed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Ah well… we're two of a kind, I guess…" Then he leaned down as he tilted Shanah's head up. He kissed her fervently and Shanah returned his kiss with as much ardor… with both her heart and soul. Bodies meshed, ready to face the future together with each other's hand… No hidden secrets to cast a shadow of doubt in their hearts, only happiness that rang with the purity of true love that flowed between the two joined hearts… 

[I hope you all enjoyed this. I will now say-- THE END *bow* Everyone Take Care!] 


End file.
